Threats and Conservation Strategies of Common Edible Vegetables That Possess Pharmacological Potentials in Nigeria

Man uses plants as a source of fuel, food, medicine, shelter, fodder, and other forestry products. Vegetables are any component of a plant that may be eaten whole or in part, raw or cooked and include leaves, stems, roots, flowers, seeds, fruits, bulbs, tubers, and fungus. Nigeria is endowed with an abundance of vegetables that are used both as food and for therapeutic reasons. Huge amounts of vegetables are grown in Nigeria, and astounding numbers are sometimes cited as the projected yearly output. Vegetables are particularly essential for nutrition and health, especially since they include chemicals that control or promote digestion, function as laxatives or diuretics, and contain pectins and phenoic components that help control the intestines’ pH levels. Both urban and rural residents’ incomes are boosted by vegetables. Native American tribes’ documentation of wild food plants helps in planning, identifying dangers, developing conservation strategies, and determining nutrient and pharmacological contents. As a result, this chapter covers an overview of edible vegetables in Nigeria, risks to common edible plants with pharmaceutical potential in Nigeria, and conservation efforts for those common edible vegetables.