Dioscorea pubera Blume., a nutraceutical from tribal Odisha for future urban food basket

Nutraceutical is coined in 1989 but it is described in the mythological scripts of India since primitive era. Nutraceutical can be the therapeutic agents for many lethal diseases and disorders. The ancient cultures of India are home of such nutraceuticals. Keeping this in mind, an attempt has been made to gather the information on an unexplored food, Dioscorea puber, locally known as Kukuai sanga. Information is also taken from the members of Ambika Prasad Research Foundation, Odisha, India. Results revealed that tuber of Kukuai Sanga is consumed by different tribal communities of Odisha as snacks and vegetable. It is rich with nutrients and secondary metabolites. The photographs are provided here for the easy identification in the field. Ethnomedicinal, pharmacological, bioactive compounds, ecological and economic aspects of Kukuai Sanga are discussed. The present study highlights the importance of this wild nutraceutical for future experimental works which could be helpful to do value addition and fight against food problems.