Utilization of Underutilized Vegetables Crops as a Source of Potential Health Benefit Compounds

With over half of humanity’s calorific and protein need being met by only three crops maize, wheat and rice. Thus food basket has reached in a highly vulnerable situation and an urgent action to promote crop diversification is needed. Underutilized vegetable cops are rich source of vitamins such as beta carotene, ascorbic acid, folic acid and riboflavin as well as minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphorus. They also contain an immense variety of bioactive nonnutritive health promoting compounds such as antioxidants and phytochemicals, which provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Underutilized vegetable crops not only supply the protective nutrients and add variety to a monotonous diet, but also have an alternative taste, attractive colour, pleasing appearance and aroma. Some leafy vegetables especially, amaranth, fenugreek, palak and spinach has attained commercial status and its cultivation is wide spread in India. Because of their low production cost and high yield, Underutilized vegetable crops especially leafy vegetables are considered to be one of the cheapest vegetables in the market and it could be rightly described as ‘poor man’s vegetables’.