a) Aerial parts: Aerva lanata Juss. ex Schultz., Blumea lacera DC., Cardiospermum halicacabum

L., Celosia argentea L., Centella asiatica Urban, Cissus quadrangularis L., Clematis

b) Root sap: Ficus racemosa L.

c) Tubers: Coleus parviflorus Benth., Hedychium spicatum Ham. ex Smith, Pueraria tuberosa DC.

d) Gum: Anogeissus latifolia Wall.

e) Buds: Cassia fistula L., Ficus benghalensis L., Holopteli integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch.

f) Leaves: Plumbago zeylanica L., Solanum nigrum L.

g) Starch: Borassus flabellifer L.

h) Flowers: Bauhinia purpurea L., Bombax ceiba L., Cassia auriculata L., Cassia fistula L.

i)Fruits: Gardenia gummifera L.f., Grewia asiatica Mast., Opuntia dillenii Haw.

j) Seeds: Cassia occidentalis L., Cassia tora L.

Our field surveys indicate the possibility of identifying species hitherto unused as food in Karnataka. One such example is Pureria tuberosa (Fabaceae) which produces large tubers which contain about 11 per cent of protein in addition to a very considerable amount of starch. The tuber of this species is sweetish to taste (more palatable than tapioca) but a little fibrous. The tubers are eaten in the northern parts of India. Another find was Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC., var. utilis (Wall. ex Wt.) Baker ex Burk., (=Mucuna uitilis Wall. ex Wt.), which was not recorded in Karnataka earlier. Our collection was made near Tithimathi (Kodagu dt.). This plant can be easily mistaken with Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC., var. pruriens, the well known medicinal plant. The difference between the two is in the colour and type of hairs on the sigmoid fruit: var. pruriens has fruits with straw yellow stinging hairs while the var. utilis has soft dark brown to black hairs. It appears that some tribals in Andhra Pradesh use young whole fruits and mature seeds of var. utilis as food. This plant has a potential for use as food in Karnataka.

b) A food plant database should include information on the therapeutic properties of the plants and on the chemistry. This information helps us to choose foods rich in a particular compound of nutritional value. Large sections of urban population spend millions and millions of rupees on dietary supplements, like vitamins, iron, carotenoids, etc., (nutraceuticals) most of which can be obtained from plant food easily and inexpensively. The public should be advised on food items that are rich in nutritional supplements. Providing such information is the second objective of a food plant database.

c) Almost every plant used as food has its own therapeutic properties, in addition to its value as food. A number of minor ailments have been managed through folk and home medicine, using plants used as food, for millennia, in most parts of the world. With acculturation, this fund of knowledge is fast disappearing. The third objective of a food plant database is to keep this information alive.

A database of 106 species of plants used as food, not all of them are common food plants, has been compiled (Sharu Raj, 1990), For each species, information on the botanical family, latin name, part used as food, vernacular names in Indian languages, uses as food, other uses (mostly medicinal), origin and distribution, and chemistry (particularly nutritional aspects) was compiled. The list of the 106 species is given in Appendix 27. Specimen profiles of Brassica nigra and Ananas comosus, from this database are given in Appendix 28. As detailed later, this database has also information on the distribution of lectins in food plants and their effects on human nutrition and health.

THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES OF PLANTS USED AS FOOD

In the Indian systems of medicine the diet taken in health (ahaara) and sickness (pathya) was given a lot of importance. Dietary supplements (anupana) augment the effect of medication. Those with adverse effects (apathya) need to be avoided. In Naturopathy diet is one of the very important arms of the treatament.

One of the most appreciable aspects of the Indian diet is its therapeutic value. A knowledge of the various ingredients of the Indian food is essential for an effective management of health at any age of a person. The therapeutic properties of 106 species of food plants are recorded in the database of food plants (Sharu Raj, 1990; Appendix 27 and 28). The therapeutic properties of 35 species are given in Appendix 29. Several more species can be added to these lists.