An investigation on sources of potential minerals found in traditional vegetables of north-east India.

The north-eastern region of India is endowed with a great wealth of plant genetic resources. Out of the vast floral diversity of the region, a large number of indigenous plant species and their wild forms constitute the routine vegetables of the inhabitants, which provide sufficient nutrients and medicinal values for the people. They seem to be quite healthy on average, even though the ethnic tribes are ignorant about the concept of balanced diet and healthcare. This paper describes the mineral (calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and phosphorus) contents and chemical composition in percentages such as carbohydrate, protein, fat, and so forth, found in 15 traditional vegetable species collected from different parts of North-east India. The results of this study contribute to the knowledge on vitamin contents in these vegetables. The amounts of ascorbic acid found in some species were much higher than the amount present in many conventional vegetables.