Wild Edible Plants Consumed By Pregnant Women In Buikwe District, Uganda

Pregnant women need adequate nourishing food for the foetus to develop well else, they experience low birth weights and diet related non-communicable diseases. Hence, they will transfer the disadvantages of malnutrition in their own lives to the next generation. Majority of the pregnant women in Buikwe are illiterate, have low incomes and lead miserable lives. Improving diets of these marginalized women requires looking into their natural resource biodiversity to find affordable and sustainable solutions. This study investigated the wild edible plants (WEPs) consumed by the pregnant women in Najjembe sub-county, Buikwe district. It also considered the preparation methods, forms of consumption, knowledge sources, collection sites and constraints to domestication and commercialization of WEPs. An ethnobotanical approach was used and through convenience sampling the respondents were recruited and data collected. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics facilitated by SPSS version 16. Sixty two WEPs were reportedly consumed by the respondents most frequently consumed being; Amaranthus dubius Mart. Ex Thell., Psidium guajava L., Solanum anguivii, Cleome gynandra L. and Mangifera indica L. Traditional methods of cooking were used in the preparation of WEPs. Majority of the reported WEPs comprised fruits and vegetables. Indigenous knowledge on WEPs was mainly obtained from parents and relatives. Radios were reported to play a big role in publicizing the values of WEPs. The wild was the major collection site for WEPs and some species were s easonal. Lack of germ plasm, slow germination rates, low yields, ignorance, lack of land and marginal markets are the major constraints hindering commerci alization and domestication of WEPs. There are no serious regulations governing collection of WEPs from the wild. A diversity of WEPs exists in this area and if properly utilized by the pregnant women, they can tremendously improve their dietary quality and quantity.