The greatest global challenge is to ensure that all people have access to adequate and nutritious food. Wild edible plants, particularly those that provide substitutes for staple foods, can play a key role in enhancing food security and maintaining a balanced diet in rural communities. We used ethnobotanical methods to investigate traditional knowledge on Caryota obtusa, a substitute staple food plant of the Dulong people in Northwest Yunnan, China. The chemical composition, morphological properties, functional, and pasting properties of C. obtusa starch were evaluated. We used MaxEnt modeling to predict the potential geographical distribution of C. obtusa in Asia. Results revealed that C. obtusa is a vital starch species with cultural significance in the Dulong community. There are large areas suitable for C. obtusa in southern China, northern Myanmar, southwestern India, eastern Vietnam, and other places. As a potential starch crop, C. obtusa could substantially contribute to local food security and bring economic benefit. In the future, it is necessary to study the breeding and cultivation of C. obtusa, as well as the processing and development of starch, to solve long-term and hidden hunger in rural areas.
全球面临的最大挑战是如何确保获得充足且营养的食物。野生食用植物, 特别是代粮植物, 可在维持偏远地区的粮食安全和均衡饮食的营养方面发挥重要作用。本文采用民族植物学的方法, 对滇西北独龙族利用董棕的传统知识进行了调查, 采用食品科学的方法对董棕淀粉的化学成分、形态、功能和糊化特性进行了评价, 利用MaxEnt对董棕在亚洲的潜在地理分布进行了预测。董棕是独龙族重要的文化物种, 一种很好的潜在淀粉植物, 在中国南部、缅甸北部、印度西南部、越南东部等地均有大片适宜生境区。董棕作为一种潜在的淀粉植物, 不仅有助于保障当地的粮食安全, 还可以带来经济利益。因此有必要对董棕的育种和栽培, 以及淀粉的加工和开发利用进行研究, 以应对未来偏远地区长期的隐性饥饿问题。.
Keywords: Caryota obtusa; Dulong people; Ethnobotany; Traditional knowledge.
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