Bioactive\nCompounds from Wild Edible Plants of Western\nHimalayas: Nutritional Profile, UHPLC-QTOF-IMS-Based Phytochemical\nCharacterization, and Their In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestibility

Wild\nedible plants (WEPs) from the Western Himalayas\nconsisting\nof three green leafy vegetables (GLVs), viz., Amaranthus\nspinosus, Urtica dioica, and Zanthoxylum armatum, and three\nfruits, namely, Ficus auriculata, Cordia obliqua, and Momordica dioica were characterized for their nutritional and phytochemical composition.\nWe identified 107 compounds consisting of polyphenols, terpenoids,\namino acids, and fatty acid derivatives through UHPLC-QTOF-IMS-based\nmetabolomics. GLVs (A. spinosus and U. dioica) scored best in terms of proteins, micronutrients,\ncarotenoids, and total polyphenols when compared to fruits. Polyunsaturated\nfatty acids, particularly alpha-linolenic acid, are abundant among\nWEPs. U. dioica possessed the highest\nradical scavenging activity, while A. spinosus and M. dioica exhibited strong reducing\npower activity. Strong α-glucosidase inhibition activity was\nobserved with A. spinosus, Z. armatum, and M. dioica. Polyphenols, particularly flavonoids, from fruits were relatively\nmore bioaccessible compared to GLVs. Potential applications of GLVs\nfor combating protein and iron deficiency as well as wild fruits for\nfunctional food development should be explored further.