Abstract
Recipes on the composition of the “salad of the monks” (Capuchin monks) have been reported in Italy since the 17th century. Different wild edible plants were highly regarded as an important ingredient of this mixed salad. Among these, some species played a key role for both their taste and nutritional properties: Plantago coronopus L. (PC), Rumex acetosa L., Cichorium intybus L., and Artemisia dracunculus L. In the present study, the micromorphological and phytochemical features as well as the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of extracts of these fresh and blanched leaves, were investigated. The extracts obtained by blanched leaves, according to the traditionally used cooking method, showed the highest content of bioactive compounds (total phenols 1202.31–10,751.88 mg GAE/100 g DW; flavonoids 2921.38–61,141.83 mg QE/100 g DW; flavanols 17.47–685.52 mg CE/100 g DW; proanthocyanidins 2.83–16.33 mg CyE/100 g DW; total chlorophyll 0.84–1.09 mg/g FW; carbohydrates 0.14–1.92 g/100 g FW) and possess the most marked antioxidant (IC50 0.30–425.20 µg/mL) and anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 240.20–970.02 µg/mL). Considering this, our results indicate that increased consumption of the investigated plants, in particular of PC, raw or cooked briefly, could provide a healthy food source in the modern diet by the recovery and enhancement of ancient ingredients.
Highlights
Since ancient time, humans have learned to recognize and use wild edible plant species (WEPs) as an important source of supplementary food [1]
Our results indicate that increased consumption of the investigated plants, in particular of Plantago coronopus L. (PC), raw or cooked briefly, could provide a healthy food source in the modern diet by the recovery and enhancement of ancient ingredients
The new trend of being green and environmentally friendly has led many people to search for wild edible plants (WEPs), but often this tendency is accompanied by a misidentification between edible and toxic plants, causing poisonings [33,34]
Summary
Humans have learned to recognize and use wild edible plant species (WEPs) as an important source of supplementary food [1]. Green Revolution, widespread hunger and malnutrition still persist in many countries of the world (FAO, 2017). In this context, the WEPs play a pivotal role in human nutrition, especially in the developing countries, and represent important components of the Mediterranean Diet today [2,3]. Traditional knowledge related to the use of WEPs has been handed down for centuries both orally and in writing in those cultures with a rich literary tradition such as Europe, India, and China [6]. In Europe, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, this knowledge was documented, codified, and protected, mainly by monastic communities, within their vegetable gardens (horti) [7,8,9,10,11]
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