Abstract
A review of indigenous Mexican plants with edible stems and leaves and their nutritional and nutraceutical potential was conducted, complemented by the authors’ experiences. In Mexico, more than 250 species with edible stems, leaves, vines and flowers, known as “quelites,” are collected or are cultivated and consumed. The assessment of the quelite composition depends on the chemical characteristics of the compounds being evaluated; the protein quality is a direct function of the amino acid content, which is evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the contribution of minerals is evaluated by atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) or ICP mass spectrometry. The total contents of phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, saponins and other general compounds have been analyzed using UV-vis spectrophotometry and by HPLC. For the determination of specific compounds such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, organic acids and other profiles, it is recommended to use HPLC-DAD, UHPLC-DAD, UFLC-PDA or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The current biochemical analysis and biological evaluations were performed to understand the mechanisms of action that lead to decreased glucose levels and lipid peroxidation, increased hypoglycemic and antitumor activity, immune system improvement, increased antibacterial and antifungal activity and, in some cases, anti-Helicobacter pylori activity.
Highlights
Diets in all countries are essentially based on the production of a few cultivated species—corn, rice, wheat, potato, soybean, barley, various vegetable species, yuca, beet, tomato, banana and watermelon—and nearly 160 edible species with worldwide distribution have been recorded [1].The predominance of a few cultivated species and products in the market leads to increased dietary homogeneity; there is a direct relationship between a high diversity of natural edible products in supply systems and dietary variety, which influences the nutritional quality of the diet and affects the healthAntioxidants 2020, 9, 541; doi:10.3390/antiox9060541 www.mdpi.com/journal/antioxidantsAntioxidants 2020, 9, 541 status of individuals
This review focused on two basic principles of inclusion: (1) only the references on plants native and those originating in Mexico were included based on the reports of Villaseñor [21], excluding plants with origins in other countries [22], such as quinua from South America and many other cases, and (2) we focused on species with edible young stems, leaves, vines and flowers, which excluded species with edible grains or cereals, tubers, fruits and strawberries
The leaves and stems of some edible plants are a source of pigments; for example, carotenoids are present in Amaranthus cruentus, Chenopodium berlandieri and Portulaca oleracea [41,54], and betalains are present in Amaranthus hypochondriacus [48]
Summary
Diets in all countries are essentially based on the production of a few cultivated species—corn, rice, wheat, potato, soybean, barley, various vegetable species, yuca, beet, tomato, banana and watermelon—and nearly 160 edible species with worldwide distribution have been recorded [1]. Edible native plants are wild or semidomesticated but are accessible; local knowledge is needed for their identification and for information concerning their cultural heritage with respect to their use as food Their diversity depends on the biogeographic region of distribution. Other cases involve plants in cultivated areas of the Mesoamerican region, in milpa systems [11] and home gardens [12,13] Edible native plants, both wild and those tolerated in crop fields, are sources of macro- and micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids and proteins, carbohydrates and functional compounds in sufficient quantities to satisfy the daily requirements of an individual [14,15,16]. The authors’ field and laboratory experiences with edible native plants used in the indigenous communities of Mexico were included
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