Wild Herbs Research Articles

Antimicrobial activities of different solvent extracts from stem and seeds of Peganum Harmala L.

Wild medicinal herbs have been used as folk and traditional medicines all across the world since well before recorded history. This present study was designed to test the antimicrobial activities of five different solvent extracted samples (n-hexane, n-butanol, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) of Peganum harmala using stems and seeds. Two different strains of Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia), two Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilus and Staphylococcus aureus), and one fungal strain (Candida albicans) were used. The antimicrobial activities were measured using a disc diffusion assay. Two concentrations of the extracts (1 and 2mgDisc-1) were used. Ethyl acetate fraction was found more affective among the tested solvents and showed maximum activity (zone of inhibition) against S. aureus (65.53 and 81.10%), E. coli (46.22 and 61.29%) while n-butanol and water fractions gave maximum activity against S. aureus (78.86 and 70.00%) and K. pneumonia (57.00 and 61.39%) respectively. Water fraction showed maximum activity against C. albicans (60.00 and 81.88%). In the case of the stem, Ethyl acetate again showed more activity against B. subtilus (38.57 and 42.10%) and S. aureus (36.66 and 46.66%) while n-butanol showed maximum activity against K. pneumonia (24.55 and 32.44%) and E. coli (27.93 and 37.61%). Methanol was found more effective against C. albicans (25.71 and 43.80%). Seed extracted samples were found more effective compared to the stem. Ethyl acetate, butanol, and aqueous extracted samples showed good activity against the tested microbes, so these fractions are recommended for study their mechanism of actions and isolation of bioactive metabolites responsible for antimicrobial activities. The P. harmala should be evaluated for their bioactive compounds to be used in future studies. Our objective is to provide the framework for future study on the roles of P. harmala as traditional medicines.

Physiological attributes and transcriptomics analyses reveal the mechanism response of Helictotrichon virescens to low temperature stress

BackgroundHelictotrichon virescens is a perennial grass that is primarily distributed in high altitude areas of 2000 ~ 4500 m. It is widely cultivated in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China, strongly resistant to cold, and an essential part of the wild herbs in this region. However, the molecular mechanism of the response of H. virescens to low temperature stress and the key regulatory genes for specific biological processes are poorly understood.ResultsPhysiological and transcriptome analyses were used to study the cold stress response mechanism in H virescens. During the low temperature stress period, the content of chlorophyll a and b decreased more and more with the delay of the treatment time. Among them, the difference between the controls was not significant, and the difference between the control and the treatment was significant. At the same time, the expression of related differential genes was up-regulated during low temperature treatment. In addition, the plant circadian pathway is crucial for their response to cold stress. The expression of differentially expressed genes that encode LHY and HY5 were strongly up-regulated during cold stress.ConclusionsThis study should help to fully understand how H. virescens responds to low temperatures. It answers pertinent questions in the response of perennial herbs to cold stress, i.e., how light and low temperature signals integrate to regulate plant circadian rhythms and Decrease of content of chlorophylls (which can be also accompanied with decrease of total quantity of reaction centers) leads to an increase in photosynthetic damage.

Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic properties of Origanum vulgare essential oil, rich with β-caryophyllene and β-caryophyllene oxide.

BackgroundEssential oils are of great interest for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to study the content of the essential oil of the Origanum vulgare of the Armenian highlands (OVA) in different periods of vegetation and to investigate its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects in mice (in vivo) and cytotoxic action in cultured cells (in vitro). OVA essential oil was extracted from fresh plant material by hydro-distillation.MethodsFor OVA essential oil contents determination the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was used. Formalin and hot plate tests and analysis of cell viability using the methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium (MTT) assay were used.ResultsThe maximal content of β-caryophyllene and β-caryophyllene oxide in OVA essential oil was revealed in the period of blossoming (8.18% and 13.36%, correspondently). In the formalin test, 4% OVA essential oil solution (3.5 mg/mouse) exerts significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects (P = 0.003). MTT assay shows approximately 60% cytotoxicity in HeLa and Vero cells for 2.0 μL/mL OVA essential oil in media.ConclusionsThe wild oregano herb of Armenian highlands, harvested in the blossoming period, may be considered as a valuable source for developing pain-relieving preparations.

Antiradical Potential of Food Products as a Comprehensive Measure of Their Quality.

Antiradical potential (ARP) is an important measure of food safety. In addition, it directly or indirectly affects the rate of occurrence of a number of human pathologies. Using a photocolorimetric analysis of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) solutions, we estimated the antiradical potential of food raw materials, food concentrates, biologically active substances, and wild plants. We conducted approximately 1500 analyses of almost 100 food products selected from 11 food groups: vegetables, milk, meat, fish, cereals and bread, drinks (including tea and coffee), etc. With a confidence interval (CI) of 95%, the average values for animal products range from 15.87 to 18.70 ascorbic acid equivalents per gram of dry matter. For plant materials, the range is 474.54–501.50 equivalents when wild herbs are included and 385.02–408.83 equivalents without taking herbs into account. The antiradical potential of the biologically active substances we studied ranged from 706.84 to 847.77 equivalents per gram of dry matter, which makes it possible to use some of the components to repair products with low ARP values, for example, bread and baked goods, confectionery, milk and dairy products, carbonated drinks, and juice. In this study, a low ARP value is associated with a reduction in the shelf life of products and a deterioration in their organoleptic properties; therefore, we propose using ARP as an important reference for describing the quality of food products and raw food materials.

Polysemanticity of Phytotoponyms of Southern Urals and Trans-Urals

Purpose. The article is devoted to the study of Bashkir toponyms formed on the basis of phytonyms. The main objective is to demonstrate phytotoponyms and determine the laws of their nomination.Results. The authors describe models for the formation of toponyms derived from plant names and conduct a comparative analysis of Bashkir phytotoponyms with onomastic materials of other Turkic languages. Of the 10,000 Bashkir geographical names recorded, phytonyms are found in about 4 % of toponyms. They contain 65 names of plants, including 16 names of trees, 16 names of shrubs and fruit trees, 8 names of aquatic plants, 13 names of edible wild herbs, 13 names of other plants used for domestic purposes in everyday life, agricultural crops, etc.Conclusion. The authors of the article emphasize that phytotoponyms ascertain, register the location, a certain position of the plant and belong to the secondary nomination, as well as the fact that many phytotoponyms carry socially significant cultural and historical information about the world, and in ancient times they would act as a natural landmark in space. Systematization of the collected material reveals the features of the vegetation cover and areal flora of Southern Urals and Trans-Urals.

Medicinal and indigenous use of Morchella esculenta for socio-economic development of tehsil Thunag /Seraj block, district Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, North Western Himalaya, India

Inhabitants of the Seraj valley largely depend on wild herbs for medicine, food and for economy. As the valley is the rich repository of wild medicinal herbs. Present study was carried out in theThunag Tehsil ( 31.55°N , 77.17°E) at an altitude of 2052m, of district Mandi (31.5892°N,76.9182°E). Morchella esculenta commonly known as growing gold of mountains because it fetch good price in market. Favourable environmental conditions like thick coniferous forest, loamy soil rich in humus, high altitude, cool climate. All these conditions favour the natural growth of this fungus. It is found in coniferous forest habitat at a height of about 2500-3500 m. It is commonly found as a mycorrhizal or saprobic relationship with hardwood and coniferous trees. Its growing season is from March to July. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, fibres, all important vitamins, minerals and aromatic compounds. Due to its unique flavour, taste and texture it is used in different recipes all over the world. It contains a wide range of pharmacological properties which includes antioxidant, antitumor, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, it also acts as an immune-stimulant due to the presence of various active constituents.The aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional, medicinal and judicious use of this herb for socio-economic development of study area.

Potential Use of Colored LED Lights to Increase the Production of Bioactive Metabolites Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam.

Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam is a wild herb that is used in traditional Indian, Chinese, and African medicine. Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is paving the way to enhance crop production and inducing targeted photomorphogenic, biochemical, or physiological responses in plants. This study examines the efficiency of H. corymbosa (L.) Lam production under blue 450 nm and red 660 nm LED lights for overall plant growth, photosynthetic characteristics, and the contents of metabolite compounds. Our research showed that blue LED lights provided a positive effect on enhancing plant growth and overall biomass. In addition, blue LED lights are more effective in controlling the production of sucrose, starch, total phenolic compounds, and total flavonoid compared to red LED lights. However, blue and red LED lights played essential but different roles in photosynthetic characteristics. Our results showed the potential of colored LED light applications in improving farming methods and increasing metabolite production in herbs.

Protective activity of Ruta chalepensis methanolic extract against nephrotoxicity and testicular damage induced by Carbon tetrachloride on albino male mice

Herbal medicinal products can contain whole or partially prepared plant components from plant leaves, bark, stems, flowers and seeds.They are administered orally, inhaled or directly applied in the skin. Ruta chalepensis is a wild herb of the Mediterranean region used by many countries in herbal medicine. The existence of bioactive molecules responsible for their pharmacological properties has been shown by phytochemical screening. Results of kidney protective activity of plant. Showed that: for total cholesterol, the effect was dose dependant (50 and 100 mg\kg) in which the plant decreased it in compared to positive and negative groups (162.1±1.83 and 154.6±1.11 mg\dl) compared to (202.1±1.13 and 167.5±2.96 mg\dl) respectively. For total protein, creatinin and albumin the plant also had the ability to keep it near control groups compared to CCL4group.While the results of interaction groups indicated the ability of plant to provide protection against CCL4 damage. the plant possessed the ability to keep testosterone, progesterone and estrogen hormones level near normal in compared to CCL4 treated group (2.96±0.03, 1.93±0.01 and 3.63±0.04 ng\dl); (11.51±4.12, 9.85±2.18 and 11.78±3.42 ng\ml); (29.07±7.21, 30.11±9.11 and 30.67±8.98 ng\ml) for 50,100 mg\kg and negative control respectively. While for interaction group the results showed the ability of plant to counteract the damaged caused by CCL4 (1.67±0.01, 2.54±0.02); (10.42±2.21, 13.65±4.37); (39.74±10.13, 35.45±9.91) for testosterone, progesterone and estrogen hormones in Ruta chalepensis +CCL4 at dose (50 +0.02%) and (100+0.02%) respectively. All results of histo-architecture for kidney and testis showed the ability of plant to counteract any necrosis and abnormality caused by CCL4.

Phenolic Compounds and Hepatoprotective Activity of Chicory Herb Extract

Introduction. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is widely applied for liver disease treatment by traditional medicine of different countries; as well, it is the object for pharmacological research of hepatoprotective activity. In this regard, the method for obtaining dry extract of wild chicory herb (WCHE) is developed in the All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.Aim. Aim of the research is determination of the qualitative composition of phenolic compounds, identification of the substances prevailing in WCHE and conducting pharmacological screening of the extract.Materials and methods. WCHE chemical composition has been explored with HPLC-MS/MS method; the main components were determined quantitatively with HPLC-UF method using single compounds that were isolated by us earlier and identified by NMR spectroscopy. WCHE pharmacological screening of hepatoprotective activity research was involving 50 male rats. Acute toxic hepatitis in animals was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of 50 % oily solution of tetrachloromethane (TCM) at a dosage of 0.4 ml per 100 g body weight. One hour before administration TCM, animals received WCHE at the doses of 100 or 500 mg/kg. 48 hours after TCM administration, the activity of serum enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as the content of total bilirubin were determined for preliminary establishment of pharmacological activity. Pathomorphological studies of rat liver were carried out using histological methods. The liver histological structure was inspected using liver sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin.Results and discussion. The component composition of WCHE is represented by oxycoumarins, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids. The dominant phenolic compounds are esculetin, chicoriin, chicoric, chlorogenic and caftaric acids. It was found under acute experimental toxic hepatitis, that preliminary WCHE administration reduces the toxic TCM effect on liver cells. In animals treated with WCHE at doses both 100 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight, it was observed decreases in ALT activity by 35 % and 45 %, AST by 15 % and 28 %, alkaline phosphatase by 15 % and 21 %; the content of total bilirubin by 20 % and 29 %, respectively, in comparison with similar indicators in the group of animals that were not treated with the extract. The histological study showed that WCHE administration to animals at the doses of 100 and 500 mg/kg reduces dystrophic changes in hepatocytes, this effect is more pronounced at the extract dosage of 500 mg/kg.Conclusion. Main WCHE components are oxycoumarins (esculetin, chicoriin), hydroxycinnamic acids (chicoric, chlorogenic and caftaric). According to the results of screening studies, it was established that WCHE in doses of 100 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg is a promising object for further pharmacological research.

Climate and landscape change favouring early rice agriculture and appreciable human impact: Evidence from sediment [formula omitted]13C in eastern China

Kuahuqiao site, famous for its early rice cultivation, is taken to be a typical case of how agriculture emerged in a littoral environment in the early Holocene. However, the lack of fire history and local climatic reconstruction has hindered the detailed picture of agricultural origins and development. Here we report new records of TOC, BC, δ13CTOC, δ13CBC, and C/N, alongside published pollen and charcoal data. Our δ13CTOC and C/N confirm the previously-proposed formation of wetlands, which offered favorable landscapes for rice paddy agriculture, prior to the appearance of the Kuahuqiao culture. Based on BC, δ13CTOC, and δ13CBC records we suggest a hotter but drier climate that would have benefited rice agriculture by augmenting the distribution of wild rice and C4 herbs. In addition, δ13CTOC shows a decreased C3/C4 ratio as a signal of human occupation with manipulation of forest for hunting-gathering or/and land clearance for agriculture. Combined δ13CBC and BC records oppose the proposal of intense fire use in early agriculture and suggest that fire use was constrained to domestic purposes. Flood events which seem to have terminated the Kuahuqiao culture left impressions in TOC, BC, δ13CTOC, δ13CBC.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oils Isolated from Aerial Parts of Some Wild Herbs Growing in Arid Regions of Egypt

Essential oils are affected by botanical origins which can induce variations in their chemical components and biological activities. Therefore, discovering the same plants from many regions leads to an increase and diversification of essential oil sources as one of the natural products that are used for many purposes. Four wild Lamiaceae plants (sage, micromeria, marrubium and thyme) were collected from arid regions in Egypt and their essential oils were evaluated. Essential oil contents of sage, micromeria, marrubium and thyme recorded the values of 0.5, 0.1, 0.1 and 1.7 %, respectively. The major components of sage essential oil are germacrene-B, geranyl linalool, 2, 6, 8-eudesmatriene, β-elemene, germacrene-D, α-guaiene, graniol, aromadendrene, β-cadinene and δ-cadinene. Caryophyllene oxide, α-bisabolol, humulene epoxide III, patchulane and Z-α-trans-bergamotol were the main components of micromeria essential oil. The major constituents of marrubium essential oil are thymol, myristicin, 1-undecene, isomenthol, E-phytol, germacrene-D and bornyl acetate. Thymol was the main component of thyme essential oil. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpenes were the major chemical group of sage and micromeria essential oils, respectively; whereas, oxygenated monoterpenes were the main group of marrubium and thyme essential oils. This study concludes that sage, micromeria, marrubium and thyme plants growing in arid regions are new sources of essential oils.

Vocal to local: indigenous dietary practices and diversity of wild food plants in Malai Mahadeswara wildlife sanctuary, South India

Background: The voice of the indigenous food system on locally available wild food plants and consumption is an important strategy to sustain interrelated food problems of malnutrition and disease. Methods: The study assessed the importance of wild food plant use among the forest-dwelling communities. Community perceptions were used to assess the patterns of use and interrelations of human well-being. Data was collected through a combination of semi-structured interviews, household surveys, and focus group discussions in eight villages. Local communities use wild plant species as food, therapeutic practices, and as a symbol of ethnic identity. Results: The taxonomical distribution and diversity of 126 species belonging to 94 genera and 58 families have been assessed. About 83% of wild leaves as greens fall in the category of weeds. There were 15 species WFPs that have been shared with neighbours in the village, close relatives, or friends. More than 28 species of leafy vegetables are used by 80% of households for more than 20 days a year. The local communities also use 120 wild edible herbs and root species in ethno-medicine. Boerhavia diffusa, Acacia farnesiana, and Alternanthera sissilis have been used frequently as vegetables, they were reported to reduce blood pressure, increase iron in the blood, and improve eyesight. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the dependency on the local food source and its livelihood importance. The study would help to evaluate the potential of WFPs use as future food in indigenous dietary systems and therapeutic practices. Keywords: Indigenous food system, dietary diversity, therapeutic value, wild food plants

Tannins medical / pharmacological and related applications: A critical review

Tannins are natural phenolic compounds that are widespread and almost ubiquitous in the vegetal world. They can be found in fruit, wood and bark of trees, and many types of wild herbs and plants or from sustainable agriculture and forestry. Their traditional use for leather has been doubled for centuries in the popular medical and pharmacological lore by their use to cure or alleviate a variety of infections and diseases. This has indicated to modern researchers that these materials possess a great potential for the use in modern medicine and pharmacy. This review, after an introduction on tannins their structures and their basic chemistry describe what modern researchers have been able to glean and demonstrate of their real, identified and quantified effects on various diseases, from their bactericidal, anticancer and antinflammatory actions to the many other effects that putsnow in more close focus in pharmacology.

MAIN RECREATIONAL ZONES OF TRANSCARPATHIA: ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Environmental problems of Transcarpathia recreational zones were studied. The unique geoeconomic location, landscapes diversity and picturesque sceneries contribute to the development of tourism in the region. The main recreational areas of the region are both the Carpathian Mountains and the Transcarpathian Lowland. By types of activity, the recreational areas of Transcarpathia can be divided into natural (water, climatic, landscape, air, balneological, geological, geographical), natural anthropogenic (ski resorts, health and treatment areas, dendrological parks) anthropogenic (historical and cultural, zoos, animal farms, botanical gardens).
 Natural recreational areas, resorts and health centers are influenced by the greatest anthropogenic impact. Every year the tourism industry uses more and more natural areas and resources, creates special natural and social landscapes. Spontaneous and irrational use of such areas creates several environmental problems associated with damage, pollution and early depletion of recreational resources. Negative destructive changes occurring in recreational areas often lead to the degradation of the natural object.
 Unorganized tourism causes great damage to the environment. Disastrous environmental problems are the result of unauthorized placement of recreation centers, illegal hunting or fishing, harvesting wild herbs, berries and medicinal plants, mushrooms, cones, harvesting birch sap, unauthorized lighting of fires, collecting botanical and zoological species, etc.
 Depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution are negative factors that most disrupt the ecological state of recreational areas of Transcarpathia. First of all, it is manifested in uncontrolled deforestation, soil erosion, air pollution from road emissions, and so on. To preserve the satisfactory ecological state of the main recreational areas of Transcarpathia, preservation of landscapes and biological diversity of the region, it is necessary to implement a set of measures.
 Priority actions to maintain the quality of the natural environment of the region must include not only permitting and prohibitive measures, but also measures aimed at restoring and improving the state of natural resources and minimizing the negative anthropogenic impact on the environment.
 The development of organized ecological tourism is an effective way to solve the ecological problems of recreational areas of Transcarpathia.
 Organized ecological tourism can provide financial support for environmental protection and increase the importance of unique natural areas.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Oregano and Lavender Essential Oils

Folk medicine uses wild herbs, especially from the Lamiaceae family, such as oregano and lavender, in the treatment of many diseases. In the present study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of the essential oils of Origanum glandulosum Desf. and Lavandula dentata L. against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The chemical composition of essential oils and their effect on the ultrastructure of the tested bacteria and on the release of cellular components that absorb at 260 nm were studied. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity and the production of reactive oxygen species in human lymphocytes treated with essential oils were evaluated. Thymol (33.2%) was the major constituent in O. glandulosum, and β-pinene (17.3%) was the major constituent in L. dentata. We observed ultrastructural damage in bacteria and increased release of cellular material. Furthermore, ROS production in human lymphocytes treated with essential oils was lower than in untreated lymphocytes and no cytotoxicity was observed. Therefore, the essential oils of lavender and oregano could be used as a source of natural antibacterial and antioxidant agents with potential pharmacological applications.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Sanicula rubriflora F. Schmidt ex Maxim

Sanicula rubriflora refers to a kind of edible wild herbs, which possesses reputed medicinal value. Chloroplasts (cp) is essential organelle in plant cells and has a genome that can be inherited autonomously. The complete chloroplast genome of S. rubriflora was assemble and annotated in the present study. It was a circular molecular genome with a size of 155,700 bp in length, which has a typical quadripartite structure. For instance, a large single-copy (LSC) of 85,979 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,333 bp were disconnected by a small single-copy (SSC) of 17,053bp. A total of 130 genes have been annotated, including 86 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 36 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and 8 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs). The total GC content of the complete chloroplast genome reached 37.9%. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with the reported chloroplast genomes revealed that S. rubriflora is most closely related to Saniculachinensis in the phylogenetic relationships.

Selenium Biofortification of Three Wild Species, Rumex acetosa L., Plantago coronopus L., and Portulaca oleracea L., Grown as Microgreens

Microgreens of wild herbs are a source of healthy compounds. Selenium (Se) biofortification of microgreens could help increase the Se content and thus contribute to Se requirements in humans. We evaluated whether three wild herbs, Rumex acetosa L., Plantago coronopus L., and Portulaca oleracea L., were suitable for biofortification in order to obtain products with high nutraceutical value. In the first experiment, the three species were enriched with Na2SeO4 at 0 and 1.5 mg Se L−1, and the effects of Se on the nutraceutical characteristics of microgreens were evaluated. In the second experiment, using P. oleracea enriched with 0, 1.5, 5, and 10 mg Se L−1, we investigated whether there was a relation between the increasing Se concentrations in the nutrient solution and the Se content in microgreens. The Se added was taken up by roots and accumulated in the aerial part. P. coronopus exhibited the highest ability to accumulate selenium, and the Se-enriched microgreens showed the highest chlorophyll and flavonoid content. The strong correlation between the Se concentration in the growth solution and the Se accumulated in P. oleracea may enable the cultivation of microgreens with the targeted Se content. The resulting Se-biofortified microgreens of wild species could represent a new vegetable product with high nutraceutical value also ensuring a sufficient dietary intake of Se.

Rural Entrepreneurship in Wintergreen Oil

Wintergreen is a wild herb that grows in the hills of Nepal that can be used for extracting oil which has several medicinal values. It is being sold into premium-value markets in the USA by doTERRA Inc. doTERRA has a co-impact sourcing partnership with the NGO Choice Humanitarian, scouts the local farmers or entrepreneurs and helps them set up the production business. The difference between the price of the final product and the price that local entrepreneurs get is very high. Despite this, the venture has created a new opportunity for local farmers to make large profit as the cost of production is low. However, the business itself has several challenges from scalability and sustainability aspects. Further, the price is set by the single buyer and the market has monopsonist characteristics; hence, the producer has less bargaining power. Despite these challenges, creating a better business environment enables the export of essential oil and that can be a potential foreign currency source for country like Nepal.

Abundance and diversity of edible wild plants in managed boreal forests

Boreal forests are rich in non-timber forest products from plants: wild berries and herbs used commercially or by households as food, medicine, decoration, or raw material. Approximately two hundred wild plant species have been documented for their nutritional uses in Finland, and many of these species occur in forests. However, the provisioning of edible plants by managed forests has received little attention, despite the fact that forest vegetation is altered by forest management practices. In this study, we use nation-wide forest vegetation and tree stand data consisting of a total of 1,778 sample plots to quantify the richness and abundance of edible wild plants in Finnish forests. Responses of edible species richness, abundance, and composition to stand characteristics such as site type, tree species composition, stand density, and management history are analyzed with regression models, NMDS ordination, and diagnostic species analysis, for forests on mineral soils and on peatlands separately. A total of 68 edible wild plant species occur in our dataset, with their occurrence and abundance varying between species and between sites. Our results indicate that habitat characteristics, namely site fertility and stand density, are the strongest determinants of overall edible plant provisioning. The richness of edible species as well as their total abundance were lower in less fertile site types and in denser stands. Recent timber harvesting and plantation as opposed to natural regeneration had a negative effect on edible species abundance in mineral soil forests. Several edible plant species confined to the richest site types accounted for the increase in species richness, while different forest management practices had generally none or a negligible number of diagnostic species. We conclude that a large and diverse set of edible wild plants occurs in Finnish forests, and the effects of stand characteristics and management on overall edible plant richness and abundance may be muddled by opposite species-level responses. Edible plant provisioning should be further analyzed at the level of smaller species groups or individual species to reveal the opportunities to support it in managed forests.

Wild Plants Used as Herbs and Spices in Italy: An Ethnobotanical Review.

Wild edible plants are an essential component of people’s diets in the Mediterranean basin. In Italy, ethnobotanical surveys have received increasing attention in the past two centuries, with some of these studies focusing on wild edible plants. In this regard, the literature in Italy lacks the coverage of some major issues focusing on plants used as herbs and spices. I searched national journals for articles on the use of wild food plants in Italy, published from 1963 to 2020. Aims of the present review were to document plant lore regarding wild herbs and spices in Italy, identify the wild plants most frequently used as spices, analyze the distribution of wild herbs and spices used at a national scale, and finally, to describe the most common phytochemical compounds present in wild plant species. Based on the 34 studies reviewed, I documented 78 wild taxa as being used in Italy as herbs or spices. The studies I included in this systematic review demonstrate that wild species used as herbs and spices enrich Italian folk cuisine and can represent an important resource for profitable, integrated local small-scale activities.