Antioxidant and Phenolic Profile of Wild Edible Vegetables of the Surghar Range, Pakistan

BackgroundThe association among food and health is momentous as consumers now demand healthy, tasty and natural functional foods. Knowledge of such food is mainly transmitted through the contribution of individuals of households. Throughout the world the traditions of using wild edible plants as food and medicine are at risk of disappearing, hence present appraisal was conducted to explore ethnomedicinal and cultural importance of wild edible vegetables used by the populace of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan.MethodsData was collected through informed consent semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, market survey and focus group conversation with key respondents of the study sites including 45 female, 30 children and 25 males. Cultural significance of each species was calculated based on use report.ResultsA total of 45 wild edible vegetables belonging to 38 genera and 24 families were used for the treatment of various diseases and consumed. Asteraceae and Papilionoideae were found dominating families with (6 spp. each), followed by Amaranthaceae and Polygonaceae. Vegetables were cooked in water (51%) followed by diluted milk (42%) and both in water and diluted milk (7%). Leaves were among highly utilized plant parts (70%) in medicines followed by seeds (10%), roots (6%), latex (4%), bark, bulb, flowers, tubers and rhizomes (2% each). Modes of preparation fall into seven categories like paste (29%), decoction (24%), powder (14%), eaten fresh (12%), extract (10%), cooked vegetable (8%) and juice (4%). Ficus carica was found most cited species with in top ten vegetables followed by Ficus palmata, Bauhinia variegata, Solanum nigrum, Amaranthus viridis, Medicago polymorpha, Chenopodium album, Cichorium intybus, Amaranthus hybridus and Vicia faba.ConclusionsPatterns of wild edible plant usage depend mainly on socio-economic factors compare to climatic conditions or wealth of flora but during past few decades have harshly eroded due to change in the life style of the inhabitants. Use reports verified common cultural heritage and cultural worth of quoted taxa is analogous. Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant activities, pharmacological applications; skill training in farming and biotechnological techniques to improve the yield are important feature prospective regarding of wild edible vegetables.

Studying how traditional knowledge regarding wild food plants and particularly wild vegetables changes over time and space is crucial for understanding which socio-ecological variables may have an influence on traditional foraging behaviors. Recent work has found that religious affiliation may play a central role since, in specific cultural contexts, religion shapes kinship relations and consequently the vertical transmission of traditional knowledge and practices. In order to further test this hypothesis, a field ethnobotanical study specifically focusing on wild vegetables was conducted among four religious communities (Shias, Sunnis, Christians, and Sikhs) in Kurram District, North-West Pakistan. Results show that a remarkable bio-cultural heritage comprising fifty-five folk wild food taxa survives today; most of the wild plants were however quoted by few informants, suggesting that this traditional knowledge system is possibly under threat. More than the half of the quoted wild vegetables were not yet reported so far in the Pakistan wild food ethnobotanical literature. The most commonly gathered wild vegetables were Amaranthus viridis L., Margarospermum officinale L., Malva neglecta Wallr., Portulaca oleracea L., and Rumex dentatus L. Most of the recorded wild vegetables were quoted by Shia and, to less extent, by Sunni community members, while Christians and Sikhs showed an extremely restricted wild plant food repertoire. These differences may be related to the different history and socio-economic conditions of the considered religious groups, to geographical/ecological factors and probably to the very specific origin of the Shia groups (Turi tribe) of the region, which moved from Western Asia a few centuries ago. Moreover, a remarkable portion of the quoted wild vegetables are perceived to have specific medicinal properties. A serious reconsideration of the recorded wild food plant resources, especially also within educational platforms, could be crucial for fostering culturally-appropriate food security strategies in marginal areas of Pakistan.

The value of wild edible vegetables in food security has not been given sufficient attention in South Africa. Consequently, there are no formal interventions that seek to encourage people to use traditional vegetables as sources of essential nutrients. Studies on the role of wild leafy vegetables in food security could provide important information for development of policies on careful exploitation of natural resources for human sustenance. The objective of this study was to provide a rapid assessment of general knowledge about wild leafy vegetables among subsistence farmers from Ezigeni, a rural location in South Africa, and to determine the availability of wild leafy vegetables from cropping fields during spring - before the cropping season started. A focus group discussion and transect walk were used to collect qualitative data on knowledge of traditional vegetables. Availability of wild leafy vegetables was quantified using one-square-meter plots, randomly located in a cropping field and in an area that has never been cultivated (veld). Results showed that knowledge of wild leafy vegetables among the participants was positively correlated with age. Education status improved knowledge of wild vegetables for middle-aged participants, but not for the youth (35 years or younger). Availability of wild edible leafy vegetables (plant numbers and yield) increased from August to October, but there was a significant difference between species. Data from a focus group discussion showed that wild leafy vegetable availability occurred early in spring, when traditional crops were less abundant. It is concluded that knowledge of wild leafy vegetables may be lost in the near future, unless efforts are made to educate younger generations about their importance. They could be used as an important source of nutrients during the pre-cropping season, before traditional crops are available for human consumption. It is recommended that agronomic investigations into cultivation of wild leafy vegetables that are adapted to rural areas where exotic leafy vegetables are not widely available be undertaken. Those studies could contribute significantly in government policies to improve food security in rural areas, and in the improvement of wild vegetable status, whose potential as sources of nutrition is currently undervalued. Keywords: availability, knowledge, wild leafy vegetables African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development Vol. 6(1) 2006

Plants are the rich source of compounds having antimicrobial properties against human pathogens. The present study has been carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of Cucumis melo var. agrestis (morphotype I), Cucumis melo var. agrestis (morphotype II), Cucumis melo var. momordica L., Cucumis melo L., Momordica balsamina L., Momordica charantia L., Momordica dioica L. against Staphylococcus aureus,Pseudomonas flourescens, Bacillus coagulans, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Crude extract of Cucumis L. and Momordica L. species were prepared with methanol, acetone and water for the determination of antimicrobial properties. Maximum yield was reported in methanol extract while minimum in acetone for all plant species. The maximum zone of inhibition of about 32.3 ± 0.57 mm was found against Staphylococcus aureus in Cucumis melo L., 21.3 ± 0.57 mm for Pseudomonas flourescens in Cucumis melo var. agrestis (morphotype II), 17 ± 0 mm for Klebsiella pneumoniae in Momordica balsamina L., and 23.3 ± 0.57 mm for Bacillus coagulans in Cucumis melo var. agrestis (morphotype II) extracts, respectively. The most active antimicrobial plants species werereported to be Cucumis melo var. agrestis (morphotype I), Cucumis melo L. and Momordica charantia L. having antimicrobial activities against all tested microorganisms.

This study investigated the consumption pattern of wild edible green leafy vegetables found in Osogbo Local Government Area of Osun State using a descriptive survey research design. The sample size for this study was two hundred and eleven (211) respondents. A four-likert scale structured questionnaire containing twenty-four (24) items was used for data collection. Data were analysed using mean scores and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that ”Yarin,” “Worowo,” “Gbure,” and “Ebolo" are major wild edible green leafy vegetables found in the study area, and their consumption is quite low. The finding showed that wild edible green leafy vegetables have benefits such as alleviating malnutrition at no cost and can be a good source of income. The findings also showed that urbanisation's preference for cultivated vegetables over wild edible green leafy vegetables, as well as uncultured ideas like ignorance and poverty and well-researched information about cultivated leafy vegetables, are among the factors influencing the intake of wild edible green leafy vegetables. The findings of this study asserted that wild edible green leafy vegetables, when compared with cultivated ones, can alleviate malnutrition, prevent micronutrient deficiency, and equally serve as a source of income at little or no cost. Therefore, it was recommended that there is a need to explore, analyse, and document that wild green edible leafy vegetables are nutritious, health-promoting, and easy to cultivate, and bring out substantial yields even under difficult climatic and edaphic conditions.

Butterflies are among the most attractive and colourful organisms on the planet, with a high aesthetic value. These are bio-indicators of the environment and ecosystem. The adults of butterflies are pollinating many plant species and their young ones (larva) feed on crop plants and weeds. The presence of weed-eating butterflies in agro-ecosystems has made a significant contribution to natural weed suppression thereby reducing the consumption of herbicides. In this context, an attempt was made to survey for butterflies in the coastal agro-ecosystem of selected localities in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu during winter season 2021-22. Butterflies survey was done twice a month in the study area and the larval weed host plants were also documented. The results of the study showed that a total of 188 weed suppressing butterflies which comprised six species and five genera were observed from the study area under the families Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae of the Order Lepidoptera. Among the species of weed suppressing butterflies, Hypolimnas misippus was found maximum in the survey followed by H. bolina of Nymphalidae family. The important weed hosts found in the study area were Cleome viscosa, Portulaca oleracea, Abutilon indicum, Corchorus depressus, Achyranthes aspera and Amaranthus viridis. The diversity of weed suppressing butterflies in the study area of coastal district offers a possible exploitation and scope in weed management in agro-ecosystems naturally.

Exploration of ethnic traditional food recipes has an immense contribution to the preservation and sustainability of traditional food habits and culture. The main objective of this study was to explore and document traditional food recipes prepared from wild edible vegetables among two ethnic groups of Mizoram, Northeast India. The method employed for this study was mainly based on a household survey; randomly selected 35 households in Aizawl district representing the major ethnic groups, namely Hmar and Paihte. Information was collected on different types of wild edible vegetables ethnic food, as prepared and consumed by the local people. Twenty-four types of traditional food recipes were documented according to their seasonal availability, and the affinities of choices in food consumption are comparable among the two ethnic groups. It was also reported that wild edible vegetables play a significant role in safeguarding food security and improve nutrition in diets. The present work documents the wild edible vegetables used traditionally by two ethnic groups of Mizoram for various recipes and highlights the necessity of conserving such traditional knowledge besides throwing light on their economic potential. The study suggests that future investigation be carried out to evaluate the nutritional and bioactive properties of wild edible vegetables.

Wild leafy vegetables are commonly included in the diet of people in rural homesteads. Among various wild edible vegetables in South Africa, Trachyandra divaricata (Sandkool) is one of the most abundant but underutilized due to the dearth of literature on its cultivation and nutritional value. In the present study, the effect of potassium application and pruning on growth dynamics, mineral composition, and proximate and phytochemical content in T. divaricata were evaluated. Treatments consisted of three potassium concentrations (0.0072, 0.0144, and 0.0216 M) supplemented in the form of potassium sulphate (K2SO4) with four pruning levels (unpruned, 5, 10, and 15 cm) applied in each treatment. The potassium doses were added to the nutrient solution, while the control treatment was sustained and irrigated with nutrient solution only. The results revealed a significant increase in flower bud yield, height, total dry and wet weight of shoots and roots, as well as ash and neutral detergent fibre in plants irrigated with 0.0072 M of K2SO4 without pruning. Conversely, chlorophyll content and Ca were comparable among treatments, while the highest yield of Na, P, N, and Zn was recorded in treatment 100 mL of K2SO4 with 10 cm pruning. Likewise, the highest antioxidant value (Polyphenols, Flavonol and DPPH) was obtained from plants irrigated with 0.0072 M of K2SO4 with 10 cm pruning. Based on these findings, T. divaricata is a promising leafy vegetable as a minimum dose (0.0072 M) of K with moderate pruning optimised its productivity in terms of growth, biomass parameters, nutritional content, and antioxidant potential. Due to its rich nutritional value, the plant should be domesticated and studied further for its potential nutraceutical benefits.

ABSTRACT: This preliminary study provides the traditional consumption of wild vegetables that mostly grow as weeds (>50%) and that are also medicinally important in the rural communities of Sargodha region, Pakistan. Through different surveys and interviews with key informants, data on perception, gathering, preparation and use of 40 wild vegetables belonging to 27 families were collected. Most common wild occurring family was Cucurbitaceae. The most of the plants found were from herbs followed by trees and shrubs. According to mode of consumption, majority of the plants are cooked while others are used as in salads form while juices, spices, pickles, raw form (their parts like fruits), jams etc. are also used. Most commonly used plant parts were fruits followed by shoots and leaves. According to medicinal view of collected wild vegetables, most of the plants are used for gastrointestinal disorders. The present study confirms the findings that the rural communities can harvest wild edible plants especially weeds as a survival strategy. It presents the baseline data on the use of plant resources as wild edible vegetables by the native communities of the area. Moreover, many potential medicinal plants should be the focus of future research, especially from the phytochemical point of view for boosting pharmaceutical industries.

Eight selected wild vegetables from Nepal (Alternanthera sessilis, Basella alba, Cassia tora, Digera muricata, Ipomoea aquatica, Leucas cephalotes, Portulaca oleracea and Solanum nigrum) were investigated for their antioxidative potential using 2,2-dyphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and ferric thiocyanate (FTC) methods. Among the selected plant extracts C. tora displayed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value 9.898 μg/mL, whereas A. sessilis had the maximum H2O2 scavenging activity with an IC50 value 16.25 μg/mL—very close to that of ascorbic acid (16.26 μg/mL). C. tora showed the highest absorbance in the FRAP assay and the lowest lipid peroxidation in the FTC assay. A methanol extract of A. sessilis resulted in the greatest phenolic content (292.65 ± 0.42 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) measured by the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method, while the smallest content was recorded for B. alba (72.66 ± 0.46 GAE/g). The greatest flavonoid content was observed with extracts of P. oleracea (39.38 ± 0.57 mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/g) as measured by an aluminium chloride colorimetric method, while the least was recorded for I. aquatica (6.61 ± 0.42 QE/g). There was a strong correlation between antioxidant activity with total phenolic (DPPH, R2 = 0.75; H2O2, R2 = 0.71) and total flavonoid content (DPPH, R2 = 0.84; H2O2, R2 = 0.66). This study demonstrates that these wild edible leafy plants could be a potential source of natural antioxidants.

To investigate the antimicrobial activity on bacteria causing a respiration disease and antioxidant effects of water extracts from 12 kinds of wild edible vegetables, we extracted the water extracts for 72 h in 7℃ using distilled water as solvent. The water extracts except Ixeris dentate and Allium monanthum had high concentrationsof phenol compounds and flavonoids. Liguraia fischeri specially had the highest level on total phenol compounds and flavonoids with 205 μg/mL and 98. 86 μg/mL, respectively. The each 0.05% extracts of Sedum sarmentosum and Liguraia fischeri had high effect on the DPPH radical scavenging activity among wild edible vegetables and the most extracts promoted antioxidant activity with increasing concentration of extract. The catalase activity of Erysimum aurantiacum and Aralia elata showed more than 150 units per g of fresh tissue. The effect of antimicrobial activity on water extracts showed characteristic activity. Only Staphylococcus aureus KCTC 1928 and Corynebacterium diptheriae KCTC 3075 were inhibited cell growth on the other hands, the remainder of bacteria was not inhibited cell growth. Nevertheless, the extracts of wild edible vegetables had specific concentration as MIC for antimicrobial activity respectively. In case of the extract of Aster scaber, Erysimum aurantiacum, and Allium monanthum had over 30% antimicrobial activity on the bacteria causing a respiration disease. In results, the wild edible vegetables include high concentrations of total phenol compounds and flavonoids that give a good antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity. Therefore the wild edible vegetables are functional food for anti-aging and physiological activation.

The discernment of Ekiti people on the wild edible vegetables (WEVs) was conducted in the three senatorial districts of Ekiti State through interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire matrix. The interviews were focused, conversational and two-way in communication. Also the abundance of each of the identified WEVs was determined. The respondents transcend sex, age and literacy status though most of them were females, mostly adults of over 25 years, illiterates, mostly of low economic status and engaged in agricultural activities yet these socio-economic classifications were not pre-requisites to their consciousness on the WEVs. A total of 51 WEVs belonging to 30 families were valued for medicine and nutrition in the study area with the family Asteraceae having the highest number of species. The leaves constituted the major part used in the identified WEVs. The diseases managed and/ prevented by these WEVs were classified into 37 groups while 40 of the WEVs were recognized as sources of vitamins and minerals by the respondents. The need to ensure sustainability of the WEVs in a manner that would improve the dietary and health conditions of the indigenous people of the study area was identified.

Medicinal uses of selected wild edible vegetables consumed by Vhavenda of the Vhembe District Municipality, South Africa

BackgroundAssessment of wild edible vegetables (WEVs) from the ethnobotanical approach is a significant key to understanding indigenous knowledge systems. The available literature has revealed a tremendous decline in knowledge of WEVs over the last few decades. The main purpose of this study was to document and analyse the traditional knowledge of WEVs among the two major ethnic groups of Mizoram regarding their use and the diversity associated with the importance of traditional medicines. Secondly, a market survey will be conducted to determine the status of available WEVs.MethodsThis study conducted an ethnobotanical survey among 72 informants through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires besides direct field observations. The documented data were quantitatively analysed using various ethnobotanical indices, including Informant’s consensus factor (ICF), Fidelity level value (Fl), and Direct matrix ranking (DMR). A marketing survey was conducted in the Bara Bazar, Mizoram's most prominent local market. A total of 38 vendor informants were interviewed to observe and collect the price of commonly sold WEVs.ResultsA total of 70 WEVs, distributed in 58 genera under 36 families, were documented and identified. Of these, 33 WEVs were of medicinal importance. Leafy vegetables were documented as the most frequently consumed parts (55.71%). The majority (44.29%) of the plants documented were consumed in fried form. The highest level of agreement among informants for food used categories was observed for plants combined with dry fish (ICF = 1). The Informant’s consensus factor (ICF) of disease categories ranges from 0.75 to 1, with the highest being reported for convulsion (ICF = 1), sleep inducer (ICF = 1), and antiseptic (ICF = 1). Picria fel-terrae was the most preferred plant for hypertension treatment (100% FL). Direct matrix ranking (DMR) indicated that Dysoxylum excelsum was highly utilized by the inhabitant for multipurpose species (DMR = 64). Jaccard similarity index (JI) between the two ethnic groups was revealed at 1.26. Forty-seven WEVs were found to be commercialized in the Bara Bazar market, Aizawl, with a price range from 0.1 to 2.4 USD. Ensete superbum was reported as near threatened per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.ConclusionThis work highlighted the importance and rich diversity of WEVs in Mizoram, which are presently used among different age groups for food and medicine. Informants have good knowledge of WEVs, which was shared to a great extent among the inhabitants; this legacy of traditional culture must be conserved. This study further suggests a priority setting for conserving multipurpose WEVs in human-inhabited sites, investigating the recorded species' nutritional properties and pharmacological activities.

In the present study 47 recopies belonging to 44 genera, and 34 families were studied. Plant name, constituents, preparation method, frequency distribution and recipes multifunctional nature were given in methodical manner. The local population had good knowledge about the medicinal plant and appropriate time of collection. Younger generation is disregard about indigenous uses of different medicinal plants, but the old inhabitants still acquires knowledge about how to use the wild resources. The plants use for abdominal pain were Aloe vera, Chenopodium murale, Foeniculum vulgare, Lepidium sativaum, Portulaca oleraceae, Mentha longifolia, Menthe viridis, Papaver someniferum, Punica protopunica, Rumex hestatus, Thymus sarphylum and Verbescum thapsus. Some were used as tonic like Acacia modesta, Calotropis proceera, Olea ferruginea, Zathoxylum armatum, Melia azedarach, Tribulus terrestris, Vitex negundo, and Teucrium stocksianum, while other were used against diarhoea i.e Punica protopunica, Verbascum thapsus, Quercus incana, Plantago lanceolata, Pinus roxurghii, Papver somniferum, Myrtus cummunis and Mentha longifolia were commonly used plants. For body cooling Adiantum capallis veneris, Ajuga breteosa, Cichorium intybus, Portulaca oleraceae, Nasturtium officinale, Pistacia integerrima and Tribulus terrestris were frequently used. Similarly plants used as expectorant were Justacia adhatoda, Calotropis procera, Pinus roxburghii, and Zyziphus sativa, while plants used as antispasmodic were Justacia adhatoda, Berberis lycium and Datura stramonium, the plants used as jaundice were Berberis lycium, Cichorium intybus, Nasturtium officinale, Pistacia integerrima, and Teurium stocksianum, while Verbascum thapsus, Zizphus sativa, and Salvia moorcrotiana were used as emollient. The vegetation of the area was found to be under high biotic pressure such as deforestation and overgrazing. Ruthless collection of medicinal plants had threatened their existence and more plants are becoming vulnerable due to the destruction of their habitat.