Dioscorea pubera (Dioscoreaceae): an economically important wild nutraceutical

Abstract: Foods and medicines are considered as the most imperative aspects that are essential for the survival of human beings. These basic needs of an individual create a link between “nutrition” and “health”, and thus the concept of “nutraceuticals” evolved. Several species of the genus Dioscorea are available throughout the world, used as food and medicines for various diseases and disorders. Among them, Dioscorea pubera, a common tuberous wild species is used as a food and medicine and indicates the elevation of the landscapes. It shows diverse bioactive compounds. Keeping this in mind, an attempt has been made to gather information on D. pubera, its food, economic and nutraceutical values. Morphological description, and the photographs are provided for identification which could open new avenues in the finding of capable nutraceuticals