## 1 Introduction  
There is great pressure on the agricultural sector to produce 70% of food that would feed the 40% projected population increase of nine billion people worldwide by the year 2050 [1]. Achieving such projections is a concern in research and, it calls for constant exploration of underutilized edible crops to provide food security for the world population. Additionally, the burden of hidden hunger has been linked with malnutrition, a food-related challenge. Infant, young children, young women of the age-bearing group in the middle- and low-income countries are at risk of the devastating effects, that impair vision, intellect, and retarded development as well as inflicting morbidity that limits livelihood of persons, especially the smallholder farmers in rural areas [1, 2]. Interestingly, varieties of food plants that are drought tolerant like _Amarantlus_ have been reported to have massive potential of curbing food-related problems, like micro-nutrient deficiencies challenge. Their contribution to food and nutrition security and consequential benefits that aimed at the improving wellbeing and livelihood is worth exploring. It is reported that about 30,000 plant species around the world are edible, with only 7000 that have been utilized as food [3]. Interestingly, many of these underutilized food plants grow naturally in many fallow landscapes, but people harvesting them are the most disadvantaged in the rural community of many developing countries. Since the _Amaranthus_ plant grows commonly, the indebt awareness of its potential and uses are limited. Little wonder most of the food crops, including _Amaranthus_, are underutilized. _Amaranthus_ is a traditional crop with its origin traced to America, where it has been cultivated between 6000-8000 years ago, but currently, _Amaranthus_ is cultivated across the globe [4]. Therefore, _Amaranthus_ has been rediscovered among the few edible crops with a multipurpose potential that can be worth exploring. This is because of its diversified usefulness in industry. It has provided aesthetic value, with edible grains, leafy vegetables, fodder, and dietary sources compared to the most predominant staple crops [2,4]. Notwithstanding the geographical location of _Amaranthus_ spp. It is recognized as a plant that grows within a short period [4]. However, there is a challenge in recognizing and classifying the species of _Amaranthus_, this is due to the critical morphological similarities, phenotypic variability, and cross-breeding that causes nomenclature disorders [2,5,6]. However, about 60-75 species of _Amaranthus_ exist across the globe, 10 of which are diocious (implying that, the male flowers are on one plant and the female flowers are on another plant), native to North America. While the remaining are monoecious (both male and female flowers are found on a single individual plant). The latter species are wide-spread across the different continents, from tropical lowlands to the Himalayas [7]. In the Aztec pre-colonial period, _Amaranthus_ was a significant plant, as it was central in the worship of gods. It is also used as a medicinal plant, a source of dye, fodder, and an ornamental plant, in addition to its, uses as a staple food in places where they have been cultivated [8]. It is reported that _Amaranthus_ has adapted to the sub-Saharan African region, such that it is a plant that grows even along the roadsides and are also seen growing on many fallow landscapes [9]. In South Africa, for example, _Amaranthus_ is one of the most common indigenous leafy vegetables, which grows well in the summer season. To be precise, _Amaranthus_ is found in places like KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, the homeland provinces of _Amaranthus_, where it is grown massively [9]. _Amaranthus thunbergii, A. gnezicans, A. spinosus, A. deflexus, A. hypochondriacus, A. viridis_, and _A. hybridus_ are the most predominant species.