Chemical composition of some Apiaceae plants commonly used inherby cheese in Eastern Anatolia

Abstract

Traditional uses of wild edible plants in daily diets are common in Eastern Anatolia. It is well known that more than 40 different plant species have been used as fresh vegetable, dried herbs, and pickled plants in some sole or mixed milk and meat products. The major use of wild edible plants is Van herby cheese in this region. To date, the mineral compositions of wild edible plants used in Van herby cheese production have been studied individually. In the present study, the plants were grouped by their plant families and their mineral compositions were determined. Therefore, variations and relations of minerals among the plants belonging to the same family were evaluated. The most used and well-known Apiaceae members such as Anethum graveolens L., Anthriscus sp., Chaerophyllum macropodum, F. haussknechtii H.Wolff ex Rech.f., Ferula rigidula DC., Heracleum persicum, Hippomarathrum microcarpum, Pimpinella aurea DC, and Prangos ferulacea L. were analyzed for their macro- and microelement concentrations (Ca, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, K, Mn, Mg, N, Na, P, S, and Zn). Additionally, some food quality aspects (e.g., dry matter, total ash contents, crude protein contents, pH, and crude fiber contents) were also evaluated in the plant samples. In conclusion, plant samples analyzed had impressive diversity for mineral compositions and other properties. It can be concluded that these plentiful variations among plants belonging to the same family could have resulted from individual genetic structure, different growing conditions, and plants parts.