Nutritive Values of Five Wild Edible Ferns of North East India

A number of wild ferns which are abundant in North East India, have been used as leafy vegetables by various ethnic groups since time immemorial. Analysis for major nutritional components on dry weight basis shows that they are very rich in crude protein; ranging from 18.63 to 33.2 mg/l00 mg. Total carbohydrate varies from 5.6 to 11.01 mg/100 mg. Lipid contents are low, ranging from 2.42 to 3.8 mg/100 mg. Crude fibre and ash content vary from 7.8 to 20.93 mg/100 mg and 9.66 to 14.0 mg/100 mg respectively. The analysis corroborates the traditional belief that some wild ferns are nutritionally rich..