Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Market Status of Garcinia indica from Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, India

Abstract

The genus Garcinia comprises many species distributed in tropical regions, with G. indica being one of the most significant native trees found in the Western Ghats of India. This study tried to document the Ethnobotanical knowledge of Garcinia indica among the rural populations of Uttara Kannada district, India. The survey and interviews conducted with 120 families across different study area revealed substantial utilization of Garcinia indica for culinary, medicinal, and commercial purposes. The fruit rind, which contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), serves as an ingredient in Indian cuisine and is purported to have anti-obesity effects. Its seed butter is utilized in cosmetics and medicine globally due to its therapeutic properties. There exists considerable economic potential for seed processing as a substrate in butter extraction; however, it is not scalable due to prohibitively labour intensive practices. Consequently, this study emphasizes the importance of developing an improved processing technique for these leaves, which could potentially add value and increase market price substantially. Such advancements would further generate revenue for conservation efforts, providing local communities with a sustainable source of income through the application of traditional knowledge.