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

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 563
Author(s):  
Riccardo Motti
Keyword(s):  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Edible Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
Phytochemical Compounds ◽  
Herbs And Spices

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.

scholarly journals Conservation of Wild Food Plants and Their Potential for Combatting Food Insecurity in Kenya as Exemplified by the Drylands of Kitui County

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredrick Munyao Mutie ◽  
Peninah Cheptoo Rono ◽  
Vivian Kathambi ◽  
Guang-Wan Hu ◽  
Qing-Feng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Life Forms ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Edible Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
East African ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
The Common

Wild food plants are important resources for people living in dry areas of Kenya. A botanical inventory of vascular plants of Kitui county was compiled from specimens collected during field investigations in Kitui county, at the East African (EA) herbarium and from literature reporting on plants of Kitui county. To obtain an inventory of wild edible plants found in Kitui county, literature reporting on wild edible plants of Kenya were searched and combined with the use reports obtained from field surveys in Kitui county. A total of 199 wild plants found in Kitui county have the potential of being utilized as foods in different ways. Plant species growing either as trees or shrubs (83 species) and herbs (36 species) are the dominant life forms while the best represented plant families are Leguminosae (25 species) and Malvaceae (17 species). Fruits (124 reports) and leaves (56 reports) are the common plant parts collected for food. Fruits (120 species) and vegetables (44 species) are the common wild food types in Kitui county. Further studies on species distribution are necessary to address conservation concerns that may threaten such plants.

Survey Of Wild Edible Plants Of Dhanakarkulam Panchayath, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-27
Author(s):  
Kohila A ◽  
Mary Kensa V
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Edible Plants ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Indigenous Uses

The present study was carried out in the Dhanakarkulam panchayath to document the diversity, indigenous uses and availability status of wild edible plants. The inhabitants of the region are dependent up to a large extent on wild resources for their food and other daily needs.. The study revealed a total of 51 species, 42 genera and 27 families of wild edible plants were recorded in the study area. The total number of plant species recorded as medicinal and wild food plants indicated that the study area has substantial amount of useful plants and diverse source of medicinal and wild food plants. The diversity of these medicinal andwild edible of these medicinal and wild edible plants might be due to the suitability of environmental condition for different types of plant species. This finding is a good indicator for the presence of a considerable diversity of plant species is the study area. The study will be helpful in developing a comprehensive data base on wild plant resources, strengthening the food security in area and in conserving the traditional knowledge for the prosperity of the remote areas.

scholarly journals Wild food plants and fungi sold in the markets of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Łukasz Łuczaj ◽  
Vichith Lamxay ◽  
Khamphart Tongchan ◽  
Kosonh Xayphakatsa ◽  
Kongchay Phimmakong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Edible Plants ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
Important Position ◽  
Open Air Markets

Abstract Background Open air markets hold an important position for ethnobiologists. In Southeast Asia, they are seriously understudied, in spite of their incredible biocultural diversity. In order to fill this gap we recorded plants and fungi sold in the open air markets of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Methods The markets were visited 38 times in four seasons: the dry season, early monsoon, mid-monsoon, and end-of-monsoon, at least 8 times per season. All items were photographed and voucher specimens were collected. Fungi were identified using DNA barcoding techniques. Results We recorded 110 species of wild edible plants and 54 species of fungi, including 49 wild-collected species. The sold plants included 86 species of green vegetables, 18 species of fruits and 3 species of flowers. Products from woody species constitute around half of all taxa sold. These include the young shoots of tree leaves, which are used for salads—an interesting feature of Lao cuisine. A large number of extremely rare Russula, with no reference sequences represented in databases or even species unknown to science is present on sale in the markets. Conclusions Luang Prabang markets are some of the richest in species of wild edible plants and fungi in Asia, and indeed in the whole world. It is worth pointing out the exceptionally long list of wild edible mushrooms which are sold in Luang Prabang (and probably elsewhere in Laos). We view the Morning Market of Luang Prabang as a cultural treasure that unites the traditions of eating a large number of living species with very diverse flora and fauna. Measures should be taken to strike a balance between local foraging traditions and nature conservation priorities.

Economic valuation of non-marketed wild edible plants in Thailand

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLAUDIO O. DELANG
Keyword(s):  
Economic Valuation ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Edible Plants ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
Non Timber Forest Products ◽  
Sizable Proportion ◽  
Conservation Organizations

Tropical forests can provide forest dwellers with a sizable proportion of their dietary needs. Yet, many development and conservation organizations tend to disregard these opportunities, promoting market-oriented reforms that aim at introducing cash crops and markets for non- timber forest products (NTFPs) in the name of poverty alleviation and/or biodiversity conservation. In so doing, they help relegate wild food plants to the position of food for the poor (De Beer & McDermott 1996; Neumann & Hirsch 2000), reserve food in case of famine (Takasaki et al. 2004), or food supplementing that produced on farm plots (Ousseynou & Tieguhong 2004). This comment discusses the economic rationale for the consumption of wild edible plants by forest-dwelling communities, comparing the results obtained from two methods of evaluation. The paper is based on one month of fieldwork during December 2004 carried out by the author together with Theresa Wong and two specially-trained research assistants in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary (Western Thailand).

scholarly journals The Fading Wild Plant Food–Medicines in Upper Chitral, NW Pakistan

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2494
Author(s):  
Muhammad Abdul Aziz ◽  
Zahid Ullah ◽  
Muhammad Adnan ◽  
Renata Sõukand ◽  
Andrea Pieroni
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ethnobotanical Survey ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Food Ingredients

The subject of food–medicines (foods ingested in order to obtain a therapeutic activity or to prevent diseases) is garnering increasing attention from both ethnobiologists and ethnopharmacologists as diet-related chronic diseases are one of the major problems resulting in a large proportion of deaths globally, which calls for interest from the scientific community to make sensible decisions in the field of food and medicine. In this regard, the current study is an important attempt at providing baseline data for developing healthy and curative food ingredients. This study aimed at recording the culinary and medicinal uses of wild food plants (WFPs) in the remote Mastuj Valley, located at the extreme north of Chitral District, Pakistan. An ethnobotanical survey was completed via 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews with local knowledge holders to record the food and medicinal uses of WFPs in the study area. A total of 43 WFPs were recorded, most of which were used as cooked vegetables and raw snacks. Leaves were the most frequently used plant part. A remarkable proportion (81%) of use reports for the recorded wild plant taxa were quoted as food–medicines or medicinal foods, while very few were reported as either food or medicines, without any relationship between uses in these two domains. Previous ethnomedicinal studies from nearby regions have shown that most of the recorded wild plants have been used as medicines, thus supporting the findings of the current study. A literature survey revealed that many of the reported medicinal uses (33%) for the quoted WFPs were not verifiable on PubMed as they have not been studied for their respective medicinal actions. We observed that most of the plants quoted here have disappeared from the traditional food and medicinal system, which may be attributed to the invasion of the food market and the prevalence of allopathic medicine. However, knowledge of these wild plants is still alive in memory, and women are the main holders of cultural knowledge as they use it to manage the cooking and processing of WFPs. Therefore, in this context, we strongly recommend the preservation of local biocultural heritage, promoted through future development and educational programs, which could represent a timely response to the loss of cultural and traditional knowledge.

scholarly journals Food Behavior in Emergency Time: Wild Plant Use for Human Nutrition during the Conflict in Syria

Foods ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
Naji Sulaiman ◽  
Andrea Pieroni ◽  
Renata Sõukand ◽  
Zbynek Polesny
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Region ◽  
Human Nutrition ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Current Crisis

Wild food plants (WFPs) have been an important source of human nutrition since ancient times, and it particularly revives when conventional food is not available due to emergency situations, such as natural disasters and conflicts. The war in Syria has entered 10 years since it started in 2011, and it has caused the largest war-related crises since World War II. Nearly 60% of the Syrian population (12.4 million people) are food-insecure. WFPs are already culturally important in the region, and may be supplementing local diets during this conflict. Our study aimed to uncover the conflict’s effect on the use of WFPs and to know what species are consumed by local people during the current crisis. The fieldwork was carried out between March 2020 and March 2021 in the Tartus governorate located in the coastal region of Syria. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 participants (26 women and 24 men) distributed in 26 villages along the study area. We recorded the vernacular names, uses, plant parts used, modes of preparation and consumption, change in WFP use before and during the conflict, and informants’ perceptions towards WFPs. We documented 75 wild food plant species used for food and drink. Almost two-thirds (64%) of informants reported an increase in their reliance on wild plants as a food source during the conflict. The species of Origanum syriacum, Rhus coriaria, Eryngium creticum, and Cichorium intybus were among the most quoted species by informants. Sleeq (steamed leafy vegetables), Zaatar (breakfast/dinner food), and Louf (soup) were the most popular wild plant-based dishes.

scholarly journals use of wild plants for food: a national scale analysis for Burkina Faso (West Africa)

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Karen Hahn ◽  
Marco Schmidt ◽  
Adjima Thiombiano
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Edible Plant ◽  
Plant Parts

Edible wild plants are an important supplement to the diets and livelihoods of rural households in West Africa. Despite their role in improving diets, mitigating famine periods and generating income there is a lack of extensive information on their uses for broader areas. Based on ethnobotanical records, we investigated wild food plants on the national scale of Burkina Faso, to provide a comprehensive overview of all edible plants, their taxonomy, plant parts and preparations. Our study revealed a relatively high number of 354 edible wild species, representing 66 plant families, with Fabaceae and Poaceae being the most species rich. Almost one third of these species have two to four edible plant parts. The number of species with edible fruits ranked highest, followed by seeds, leaves, starchy underground storage organs and others. Overall, the results underline that wild plant species contribute considerably to nutrition and the database compiled in this study constitutes a good basis for further evaluations of the potential of edible plants in Burkina Faso.

scholarly journals Contribution of the Wild Food Plants in the Food System of Tribal Belt of Pakistan; The Pak - Afghan Border Region

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shujaul Mulk Khan ◽  
Abdullah Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Food System ◽  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Wild Food Plants

The tribal belt of Pakistan-the Pak-Afghan border region is famous for its unique culture, ethnography and wild food plants and traditional knowledge. People of these regions gather wild plants for number of purposes including plants or plant parts for direct use, use it in the traditional cuisines and selling in local markets. However, there is huge lack of documentation of food system particularly the Wild Food Plants (WFPs). In current study we have focused on the uses and contributions of the WFPs in the tribal traditional food system. The ethnobotanical data were gathered through questionnaire surveys with Eighty-four informants 69 men and 15 women belonging to 21 different villages. We documented Sixty-three WFP species belonging to 34 botanical families, of which 27 were used as vegetables, 24 as fruits, 6 in different kinds of chutneys (starters) formation and six as fresh food species. Fruits were the mostly used part (40%) followed by leaves (24%), aerial parts (24%), seeds (7%), stem (3%), legume (2%) and young inflorescence (1%). Use of Carthamus oxycanthus & Pinus roxburghii seeds and Marsillea quadrifolia leaves were the novel reports for the gastronomy of Pakistan. The results elucidate that WFPs have a significant contribution in the Tribal Food Systems. Tribal people use WFPs not only due to their nutritional importance but also as a cultural practice - an inseparable component of the tribal communities. This important traditional Knowledge about the consumption of WFPs has been eroding with an alarming speed among the younger generations due to introduction of fast food chains, modernization, and globalization. Therefore, appropriates strategies are imperative not only to safeguard traditional knowledge but also the cultural heritage, food security and hence public healthcare via food supplement in the region.

scholarly journals Diversity of wild edible plants traditionally used by the Galo tribe of Indian Eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Padma Raj Gajurel ◽  
Tajum Doni
Keyword(s):  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Wild Edible Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
Arunachal Pradesh ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Edible Plant

Wild edible plants are found very useful in the fulfilment of food and nutritional requirements. Because of the availibity and cultural preference, the consumption of these plants among the tribes is high. To find out the diversity, utilisation pattern and sociocultural importance of the wild plants, a study was conducted in the state of Arunachal Pradesh selecting the Galo tribe, and accordingly the wild edible plants consumed are documented here. Data were collected through extensive field surveys and interviews with the community in the selected 12 villages in Upper Subansiri and West Siang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Overall, 125 wild edible plant species under 99 genera and 54 families are reported. These species are consumed mostly as leafy vegetables, fruits, medicine, spices and condiments and as a substitute to food grains. The Urticaceae with ten species is the most utilised family followed by Asteraceae, Moraceae and Lamiaceae with at least five species in each. Herbs with 47 species were found to be the most dominant growth form followed by trees with 44 species. Based on parts used leaves with 66 species were recorded to be the most used plant parts followed by fruits. The highest edibility index of 50 % was reported in Solanum americanum. The analysis of relative frequency of citation revealed that total 78 species exhibits more than 0.50 relative frequency of citation value with highest value in Pouzolzia hirta (0.95). It has been found that the wild plant resources play a vital role in the socio-economic aspects of the Galo tribe.

scholarly journals Nutrtional profile of some selected food plants of Otwal and Ngai sub counties Oyam district, northern Uganda

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (57) ◽  
pp. 7428-7451
Author(s):  
A Acipa ◽  
◽  
M Kamatenesi-Mugisha ◽  
H Oryem-Origa
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Food Plant ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Mineral Nutrient ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Nutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Indigenous Plants ◽  
General Decline

Wild food plants play an important role in the diet of inhabitants of Oyam District. Some of these plants are drought -resistant and gathered throughout the year . These wild foods are an important source of nutrients. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data re garding the nutrient content s of these indigenous plants. The purpose of this study was to document and assess the nutrient and mineral content s of the selected food plants. Ethnobotanical surveys were used to collect data through formal and informal inter views and focused group discussions. Voucher specimens were collected during field excursions and taken to Makerere Herbarium for proper identification . Nutrients and mineral analyses of wild and cultivated fruits, seeds, underground organs and vegetables from Ngai and Otwal sub counties were carried out using known procedures. They were analysed for mineral nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus concentrations. Additionally nutrients such proteins, beta carotene, vitamin C and dietary fibre were determined . On average, vegetables were found to be richer in organic nutrients and minerals followed by fruits and seeds in that order . Generally the wild food plant species were found to be richer sources of mineral nutrient than their cultivated relatives. F or example , the highest concentration of calcium 867.59 mg/100g was found in Acalypha bipartita leaves compared to 294.18 mg/100g in Cleome gynandra . Plant species that showed high iron contents [>30% ] were leaves of swamp hibiscus , African spider flowers , fruits of Tamarind , Black night shade and Jews mallow . It was also noted that among the food plant species analysed, fruits were low in nutrients and mineral elements. Some of these food plants were also considered to have medicinal properties by the locals such as African spider flower, Rattle pod among others. However, it should be noted that there is a general decline in the consumption of wild plants , despite the apparent high nutritional values . T he conservation of wild food plants is not taking place among the communities in the study area, thus the poor rural communities who are limited on balancing their diet could be faced with diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies .

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