Wild-harvested Plants Research Articles

Commercialized “Smudge Sticks” Used as Incense in the Netherlands: An Inventory of Plants and Trends Behind a New Age Fashion

Incense is essential in religious ceremonies, even in relatively new religious and spiritual movements such as New Age and Neopaganism. These garner little attention from ethnobotanists, although they trigger an international trade in wild-harvested plants. In this paper, we studied the botanical ingredients of smudge sticks (dried plant bundles burned for purification) in the Netherlands, and people’s motivations to use them posing the following questions: what plant species are included in smudge sticks? what are they used for? and are exotic plants preferred over native Dutch plant species? We visited online and physical shops in Dutch cities, acquiring a total of 29 different smudge sticks containing at least 15 species. We held semi-structured interviews with 11 users, vendors, and herbal experts, and collected data from 33 questionnaires. Salvia apiana L. was most frequently found, along with North American species of the genus Artemisia. The rise of the New Age movement resulted in North American ritual plant species being easily available in (online) shops in the Netherlands and smudge sticks being used for personal protection and cleansing. Despite the smudge sticks’ commercial demand, there is no data regarding the pressure on wild populations of species used in these bundles. For the preservation of these species it is crucial that scientific monitoring of their harvest is undertaken in the future.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals the mechanism of high polysaccharide content in tetraploid Dendrobium catenatum Lindl

Dendrobium catenatum Lindl (Orchidaceae) has high medicinal and economic value. Unfortunately, industrially-cultivated D. catenatum exhibits inferior medicinal quality in comparison with wild-harvested plant materials. Previously, we produced tetraploid D. catenatum germplasm in order to increase the production of bioactive compounds. However, although tetraploid D. catenatum contains a higher polysaccharide content than diploid D. catenatum, the molecular mechanism is still unknown. In this study, the polysaccharide content of tetraploid D. catenatum stems and leaves was studied alongside a comprehensive transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. Overall, tetraploid D. catenatum contained a higher polysaccharide content (stem: 30.93%, leaf: 23.28%) than diploid D. catenatum (stem: 17.93%, leaf: 15.28%). Further analyses of differential metabolites and genes were carried out, targeting genes related to polysaccharide synthesis, metabolism, regulation, and transport. Functional enrichment analysis showed that tetraploid plants were highly enriched in transport- and metabolism-related pathways. Specifically, CesA/Csl, SWEET, and BGLU gene family members were upregulated in tetraploid plants. The results of this study suggest that enhanced polysaccharide transport may be the key driver of increased polysaccharide content in tetraploid D. catenatum. These results provide a foundation for further studies aimed at resolving the molecular mechanism of high polysaccharide content in tetraploid D. catenatum, as well as a theoretical basis for the breeding of new D. catenatum varieties.

Chemical Composition of Wild Collected and Cultivated Edible Plants (Sonchus oleraceus L. and Sonchus tenerrimus L.).

The present work investigates the nutritional and bioactive composition, as well as the organoleptic and sensory properties, of S. oleraceus and S. tenerrimus, two wild plant species traditionally used in the gastronomy of the Mediterranean area. Additionally, the effect of cultivation on leaf composition was assessed to explore their potential for large-scale production and commercialization from the point of view of possible losses or gains in quality. Both species were characterized as a good source of bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, pro-vitamins and carotenoids, with health-promoting and antioxidant properties that are highly appreciated. The sensory profile revealed a good general acceptance of S. oleraceus and S. tenerrimus, indicating that they could be included in the diet. Although the cultivation of S. oleraceus resulted in a decrease in the concentration of phenolic compounds when compared to wild-harvested plants, the opposite occurred for vitamin C. In S. tenerrimus, cultivation also increased the concentration of other compounds with important nutritional and healthy properties, such as sugars, organic acids and β-carotene. The results of the composition, organoleptic and sensory properties of S. oleraceus and S. tenerrimus support the idea of their potential to be used as edible leafy vegetables and as promising assets for functional foods.

The sustainability of trade in wild plants-A data-integration approach tested on critically endangered Nardostachys jatamansi.

While the demand for many products from wild-harvested plants is growing rapidly, the sustainability of the associated plant trade remains poorly understood and understudied. We integrate ecological and trade data to advance sustainability assessments, using the critically endangered Nardostachys jatamansi in Nepal to exemplify the approach and illustrate the conservation policy gains. Through spatial distribution modeling and structured interviews with traders, wholesalers, and processors, we upscale district-level trade data to provincial and national levels and compare traded amounts to three sustainable harvest scenarios derived from stock and yield data in published inventories and population ecology studies. We find increased trade levels and unsustainable harvesting focused in specific subnational geographical locations. Data reported in government records and to CITES did not reflect estimated trade levels and could not be used to assess sustainability. Our results suggest that changing harvesting practices to promote regeneration would allow country-wide higher levels of sustainable harvests, simultaneously promoting species conservation and continued trade of substantial economic importance to harvesters and downstream actors in the production network. The approach can be applied to other plant species, with indication that quick and low-cost proxies to species distribution modeling may provide acceptable sustainability estimates at aggregated spatial levels.

Hydroponic Cultivation of Medicinal Plants—Plant Organs and Hydroponic Systems: Techniques and Trends

Medicinal plants are a globally important resource for the treatment of disease and improvement of human health, and the only form of healthcare used by millions of people. Currently, the status of many medicinal species is threatened by overharvesting caused by increasing demand. While many species have been cultivated in soil, the resulting material often contains lower levels of medicinal compounds than that of wild-harvested plants. Hydroponic cultivation of medicinal plants may provide sustainable access, with research demonstrating increased secondary metabolite content in some species compared to both wild and soil-grown plants. There are a variety of hydroponic systems and techniques available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. As medicinal compounds are often localised within specific plant organs, selecting hydroponic systems that maximise the yield of the desired organs and metabolites is necessary. However, as of yet there has been no attempt to examine the literature with regards to the cultivation of specific plant organs of medicinal plants in hydroponics. This article explores the use of different hydroponic systems to cultivate medicinal plants and how the choice of system differs depending on the desired plant organ, as well as highlighting studies with novel outcomes that may provide value to the field.

A prioritised inventory of crop wild relatives and wild harvested plants of Tunisia

An inventory of crop wild relatives (CWR) and wild harvested plants (WHP) occurring in Tunisia, based on the integration of the last available floristic checklists, is presented. The taxa were prioritised according to economic value of the related crop, potential for crop improvement, threat status, endemism, inclusion in the ITPGRFA (Annex I) and average annual contributions to dietary energy (kilocalories) per capita per day by applying a scoring system based on 4 priority levels. Of a total of 2912 taxa belonging to the Tunisian Flora, 2504 CWR and/or WHP (86% of the total), from 143 families and 686 genera, were identified, 2445 of which are CWR and 847 are WHP. In detail, 1654 are solely CWR and 59 are WHP only, whereas 788 are both CWR and WHP. The final priority list for active conservation includes 1036 CWR (43% of the total CWR taxa), with 139 taxa rated as high priority, 660 medium priority and 237 low priority. The final priority list for WHP is composed of 344 taxa and includes eight high priority, 254 medium priority and 82 low priority taxa. Our results confirm Tunisia as a hotspot of CWR and WHP diversity in the Mediterranean area. The inventory here proposed provides the basis for the development and implementation of a more targeted national CWR/WHP conservation strategy for Tunisia.

A new list and prioritization of wild plants of socioeconomic interest in Italy: toward a conservation strategy

ABSTRACT Wild harvested plants (WHP) and crop wild relatives (CWR), part of the segment of natural diversity that is collectively known as ‘Plant Genetic Resources’, have great socioeconomic importance for humans because they are used either directly or in crop breeding. In order to lay down a solid base for constructing conservation strategies for Italy, an updated annotated list of CWR and WHP was produced for the country including information on known uses. Taxa included in the list were then prioritized using a pragmatic approach based on their value, native status, and need of protection or monitoring.

Promotion of in situ Forest Farmed American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) as a Sustainable Use Strategy: Opportunities and Challenges

The cultivation of wild-harvested plant species is one strategy to achieve species conservation while meeting continued demand. A limitation to this approach for species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, however, is that products produced under ex situ artificial agricultural conditions are often not a perfect replacement for their wild-collected counterparts, so demand for wild-harvested materials persists. This situation applies to American ginseng, an internationally protected species by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1975. In this paper, we trace the trade the history and conservation need for American ginseng in North America, including a summary of the development and evolution of in and ex situ cultivation methods. We report results from a preliminary survey of product labeling of American ginseng sold online in China and adjacent regions and provide recommendations for promoting forest farmed ginseng to consumers as a sustainable use strategy. We suggest that the use of CITES’s new “human assisted” production category amongst trade partners, coupled with “green” product certification and e-commerce platforms, provides a new opportunity to encourage consumption of wild-cultivated rather than wild ginseng in east Asia, and the continued development of ginseng forest farming and supply transparency mechanisms in the eastern United States.

Comparison of Three Domestications and Wild-Harvested Plants for Nutraceutical Properties and Sensory Profiles in Five Wild Edible Herbs: Is Domestication Possible?

In this study, five wild edible herbs traditionally consumed in the Tuscany region (Italy) were evaluated for their potential in human nutrition. The nutraceutical characterization of Rumex acetosa, Cichorium intybus, Picris hieracioides, Sanguisorba minor, and Plantago coronopus, as well as their sensory profile were reported. Additionally, a preliminary assessment of completely different domestication of the wild species (named “soilless”, pot, and open field) was conducted to verify the possibility of their marketability, which is impossible if the plants are only gathered as wild. The open field domestication allowed to obtain plants with nutraceutical and sensory profiles similar to those of the wild species, especially in C. intybus, P. hieracioides, and S. minor. The pot domestication allow to obtain plants with chlorophyll and carotenoid contents close to those of the wild species, as well as a lower total phenolic and flavonoid content and ascorbic acid content than wild species. In the “soilless” method, R. acetosa and P. coronopus exhibited a high quality in terms of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity. Afterward, the sensory profile was strongly affected by the domestication in terms of the palatability, except for R. acetosa and P. coronopus, which displayed Hedonic Index (HI) values close to the consumer acceptability limit (HI = 6). A sensory profile similar to that of wild species was reported in open field domestication, whereas a worse sensory profile was reported in P. hieracioides and C. intybus domesticated using the soilless method. Finally, according to the preliminary assessment carried out in this study through an analysis of the general nutraceutical properties, S. minor was shown to be the most promising species thanks to its intrinsically highest nutraceutical properties considering the marketability of wild edible herbs as “new” functional food. However, further research on the bioavailability and bioactivity tests of nutraceutical compounds present in this species are required to confirm the findings of this study.

GENETIC DIVERSITY STUDIES OF LATVIAN VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS L. POPULATIONS FOR IN SITU CONSERVATION

Plants and berries of bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) are traditionally used in many nations as a local medicine as well as edible plants. They are an important feed source for wild animals and birds. In situ conservation is an important component for the conservation of crop wild relatives (CWR) and wild harvested plants (WHP). Research on population structure and genetic diversity is important and is required for the development and implementation of in situ conservation strategies as well as being useful for ecosystem services management. The aim of this study was to test EST-SSR markers for bilberry genotyping and determine genetic diversity in different forest types – Vacciniosa, Myrtillosa, Hylocomiosa as well as compare populations from various regions of Latvia. Our results indicated that there was a small genetic differentiation between bilberries grown in different forest types (0-2%); most of the variation was found within individuals. Analysing populations in different regions of Latvia, 5% of the genetic variation was found among populations. Analysis using the STRUCTURE software package showed that there were no isolated populations or distinct groups. There was a positive correlation between geographic and genetic distances, indicating that the analysed populations differentiation can be explained by isolation-by-distance, without additional dispersal barriers.

Explaining harvests of wild-harvested herbaceous plants: American ginseng as a case study

Wild-harvested plants face increasing demand globally. As in many fisheries, monitoring the effect of harvesting on the size and trajectory of resource stocks presents many challenges given often limited data from disparate sources. Here we analyze American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) harvests from 18 states in the eastern U.S. 1978–2014 to infer temporal patterns and evidence of population declines, and we test the effects of local environmental and socioeconomic factors on ginseng harvesting at the county level 2000–2014.Despite rising prices, annual wild ginseng harvests decreased from a high point in the late 1980s to early 1990s, then, in most, increased after 2005 or 2010 - suggesting range-wide overexploitation notwithstanding federal regulations that, since 1999, restrict minimum harvest age. County-level harvest rates increased with available habitat, road density, poverty and unemployment, but decreased when public land formed a large proportion of county area. Harvests were largest in the Southern Appalachian region. Poverty and accessibility were strongly related to high levels of harvesting.A key implication is that to conserve valuable wild native plant products while also improving local livelihoods, wild cultivation and good stewardship practices must be strongly promoted. Our approach to assessing the condition of wild populations offers a broad template that could be adapted to other wild-harvested plants.

Quantitative market survey of non-woody plants sold at Kariakoo Market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Ethnopharmacological relevanceIn Tanzania, traditional medicine plays a significant role in health care and local economies based on the harvesting, trade and sale of medicinal plant products. The majority of this plant material is said to originate from wild sources, and both traditional healers and vendors are concerned about the increasing scarcity of certain species. Aim of the studyA market survey of non-powdered, non-woody medicinal plants was conducted at Kariakoo Market in Dar es Salaam, the major hub for medicinal plant trade in Tanzania, to assess sustainability of traded herbal medicine. Materials and MethodsFor this study, fresh and dried herbs, seeds and fruits were collected and interviews were conducted to obtain information on vernacular names, preparation methods, monthly sales, uses and prices. Bundles of herbal medicine offered for sale were weighed and counted to calculate the value and volumes of daily stock at the market. ResultsA total of 71 medicinal plant products belonging to 62–67 different species from at least 41 different plant families were identified. We identified 45 plant products to species level, 20 products to genus level and four to family level. Plant species most encountered at the market were Suregada zanzibariensis, Myrothamnus flabellifolia and Sclerocarya birrea. The major use categories reported by the vendors were ritual purposes, digestive disorders and women's health. Annual sales are estimated to be in excess of 30 t and close to 200,000 USD, and trade in herbal medicine at Kariakoo Market provides subsistence income to many local vendors. ConclusionsA large diversity of wild-harvested plant species is traded as medicinal products in Tanzania, including species listed on CITES Appendices. Identifying and monitoring temporal changes in availability per season and from year to year will reveal which species are most affected by this trade, and help relevant authorities in Tanzania to find alternative sources of income for dependent stakeholders and initiate targeted efforts to protect threatened plant species.

Effects of Light Environment on Recovery from Harvest and Antibacterial Properties of Oshá Ligusticum porteri (Apiaceae)1

Wild-harvested medicinal plants collected from different light environments may show differential recovery from harvest. Also, plants growing in open and shaded habitats may allocate resources differently to defense. Since defensive compounds are biologically active, this difference may lead to variation in medicinal properties. We designed an experiment to test the hypothesis that light environment will affect both the ability of populations to recover from harvest and the medicinal properties of Ligusticum porteri (Apiaceae). L. porteri is a wild-harvested plant found in both high-elevation meadows and forest understories. Surveys in 2010 documented differences in population structure between light environments, with fewer flowering stalks in the understory. In 2012, we harvested plants in plots within five sites across varying light (PAR) levels at three different intensities: 0%, 50%, and 100% of ramets collected. We monitored regrowth in these plots over two years. We also tested the medicinal properties of methanol root extracts of L. porteri from the harvested plots using disc-diffusion assays. We found that L. porteri was able to regrow leaves following even intensive harvest (100%), although these were smaller than in control (0%) plots. Harvest significantly reduced the number of flowering stalks, changing population structure. While light did not impact the ability to regrow following harvest, it did influence antibacterial activity. The ability to inhibit Bacillus cereus decreased in extracts from plants harvested from high light environments, which follows plant defense theory. Altogether, harvest sustainability in L. porteri is equivocal among the light environments examined in this study, although some medicinal properties vary. L. porteri populations can recover from harvest through vegetative regrowth.

A Prioritized Inventory of Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Harvested Plants of Italy

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to construct a solid basis for developing a crop wild relatives (CWR) and wild harvested plants (WHP) conservation strategy at the European and national levels. To this end we (i) worked out an annotated and synonymized Working Database of the Italian Vascular Plants, (ii) worked out a full CWR–WHP checklist for Italy, (iii) worked out a prioritized CWR and WHP inventory, (iv) identified native taxa with an ascertained utility for breeding, and (v) on the basis of a gap analysis case study on two Brassica taxa, outlined the first steps to be taken immediately to develop their in situ and ex situ conservation strategy. The Working Database of the Italian Vascular Plants includes a total of 11,710 taxa. Of those, 92.0% form the CWR–WHP checklist. On the basis of the importance of the related crops, their status, and their need of protection and/or monitoring, 1118 taxa were prioritized. Of these, 129 taxa deserve the highest priority in planning a conservation strategy, including 16 that currently have a practical use in breeding. The case study showed that little is still known about relic CWR populations and that not all of them are adequately protected in situ and ex situ. Since information on their abundance, location, distribution, ecological conditions, census, and current conservation is lacking, initiatives should be put into action immediately for developing a national and European conservation strategy.

In vitro conservation, phytochemistry, and medicinal activity of Artemisia tridentata Nutt.: metabolomics as a hypothesis-generating tool for plant tissue culture

Artemisia tridentata Nutt. and related species in the subgenus Tridentatae are ecologically important plants with a rich history of ceremonial and medicinal use by the indigenous people of North America. With the exception of antimicrobial and insecticidal bioassays, there is limited data to support the traditional uses of A. tridentata. Additionally, wild A. tridentata populations are declining and conservation of genetic resources is warranted. The current study was designed to (a) develop in vitro protocols to conserve A. tridentata in axenic culture and to provide plant tissues for phytochemical analysis, (b) to investigate the presence of neurologically-active phytochemicals in A. tridentata and (c) to develop metabolomics as a tool for understanding secondary metabolite biosynthesis under aseptic conditions. A collection of in vitro-grown germplasm lines was established from wild-harvested seeds of A. tridentata. Neurotransmitters acetylcholine, GABA, melatonin and serotonin were identified and quantified in the plant tissues. Crude extracts of A. tridentata inhibited acetylcholinesterase in a bioassay. A metabolomics analysis with chemometric statistics quantified changes in the phytochemical profiles of wild-harvested plants and plantlets in axenic culture. A total of 1,543 phytochemicals were found in all samples of A. tridentata including 52 significant ions putatively identified as monoterpene, phenolic or sesquiterpene compounds. Together, these data provide the foundation for further investigations of the phytochemical diversity and medicinal activity of A. tridentata and demonstrate a research approach for use of metabolomics as a tool for understanding secondary metabolite biosynthesis under aseptic conditions.

Training programmes can change behaviour and encourage the cultivation of over-harvested plant species.

Cultivation of wild-harvested plant species has been proposed as a way of reducing over-exploitation of wild populations but lack of technical knowledge is thought to be a barrier preventing people from cultivating a new species. Training programmes are therefore used to increase technical knowledge to encourage people to adopt cultivation. We assessed the impact of a training programme aiming to encourage cultivation of xaté (Chamaedorea ernesti-augusti), an over-harvested palm from Central America. Five years after the training programme ended, we surveyed untrained and trained individuals focusing on four potential predictors of behaviour: technical knowledge, attitudes (what individuals think about a behaviour), subjective norms (what individuals perceive others to think of a behaviour) and perceived behavioural control (self assessment of whether individuals can enact the behaviour successfully). Whilst accounting for socioeconomic variables, we investigate the influence of training upon these behavioural predictors and examine the factors that determine whether people adopt cultivation of a novel species. Those who had been trained had higher levels of technical knowledge about xaté cultivation and higher belief in their ability to cultivate it while training was not associated with differences in attitudes or subjective norms. Technical knowledge and perceived behavioural control (along with socio-economic variables such as forest ownership and age) were predictors of whether individuals cultivate xaté. We suggest that training programmes can have a long lasting effect on individuals and can change behaviour. However, in many situations other barriers to cultivation, such as access to seeds or appropriate markets, will need to be addressed.

AHPA's Tonnage Survey of Select North American Wild-Harvested Plants, 2006-2010

AHPA's Tonnage Survey of Select North American Wild-Harvested Plants, 2006-2010

New approaches for establishing conservation priorities for socio-economically important plant species

The establishment of priorities among species is a crucial step in any conservation strategy since financial resources are generally limited. Traditionally, priorities for conservation of plant species have been focused on endemicity, rarity and particularly on their threatened status. Crop wild relatives (CWR) and wild harvested plants (WHP) are important elements of biodiversity with actual or potential socio-economic value. In this study, eight prioritisation criteria were used along with different prioritisation systems and applied to the Portuguese CWR and WHP. The top 50 species obtained by each of these methods were identified. The final top CWR were those that occurred as a priority in most methods. Twenty CWR were identified as the highest priorities for conservation in Portugal and they include wild relatives of the crop genera Allium, Daucus, Dianthus, Epilobium, Festuca, Herniaria, Narcissus, Quercus, Plantago, Trifolium, and Vicia. Eighteen WHP were recognised as priorities for conservation and include several Narcissus and Thymus species, among others. The advantages, limitations and level of subjectivity of each of the methods used in this exercise are discussed.

Variation of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites in Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra from Wild Populations of Turkey

The present study was conducted to determine the variation in the content of hyperforin, hypericin and pseudohypericin in Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra growing wild in four locations of Turkey. The aerial parts, representing a total of 30 individuals, were collected at full flowering and dissected into floral, leaf and stem tissues. After drying at room temperature, the plant materials were assayed for their chemical contents by HPLC. The populations varied significantly in chemical contents. Hyperforin content ranged from 0.05 to 0.56 mg/g, hypericin from 0.74–1.98 mg/g, and pseudohypericin from 0.72–2.26 mg/g, dry weight. Among the different plant parts, the flowers were found to be the principle organ for hyperforin accumulation, while hypericin and pseudohypericin were accumulated mainly in leaves. Such kinds of data could be useful for optimizing the processing methodology of wild-harvested plant material and phytochemical evaluation of H. triquetrifolium.

Pseudohypericin and Hyperforin in Hypericum perforatum from Northern Turkey: Variation among Populations, Plant Parts and Phenological Stages

Hypericum perforatum is a perennial medicinal plant known as "St. John's wort" in Western Europe and has been used in the treatment of several diseases for centuries. In the present study, morphologic, phenologic and population variability in pseudohypericin and hyperforin concentrations among H. perforatum populations from Northern Turkey was investigated for the first time. The aerial parts of H. perforatum plants representing a total of 30 individuals were collected at full flowering from 10 sites of Northern Turkey to search the regional variation in the secondary metabolite concentrations. For morphologic and phenologic sampling, plants from one site were gathered in five phenological stages: vegetative, floral budding, full flowering, fresh fruiting and mature fruiting. The plant materials were air-dried at room temperature and subsequently assayed for chemical concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography. Secondary metabolite concentrations ranged from traces to 2.94 mg/g dry weight (DW) for pseudohypericin and traces -6.29 mg/g DW for hyperforin. The differences in the secondary metabolite concentrations among populations of H. perforatum were found to be significant. The populations varied greatly in hyperforin concentrations, whereas they produced a similar amount of pseudohypericin. Concentrations of both secondary metabolites in all tissues increased with advancing of plant development and higher accumulation levels were reached at flowering. Among different tissues, full opened flowers were found to be superior to stems, leaves and the other reproductive parts with regard to pseudohypericin and hyperforin accumulations. The present findings might be useful to optimize the processing methodology of wild-harvested plant material and obtain increased concentrations of these secondary metabolites.