Nutritional Properties of Wild Edible Plants with Traditional Use in the Catalan Linguistic Area: A First Step for Their Relevance in Food Security.

Abstract

<p>Wild food plants (WFPs) are crucial for the subsistence of many human populations. While</p><p>there are at least 7000 edible plant species in the world, only approximately 420 are considered food</p><p>crops. WFPs are often studied from the phytochemical and pharmacological point of view, because</p><p>they include available food components with nutraceutical value. The present study aims to highlight</p><p>the nutritional value of WFPs traditionally used in the Catalan linguistic area, providing detailed</p><p>insights and discussing the significance of these properties. Information about the nutritional properties</p><p>of 93 taxa, coming from ethnobotanical prospection, has been collected through an extensive</p><p>bibliographic research. The results reveal that WFPs are rich in nutrients, especially micronutrients.</p><p>Furthermore, in selected species, those for which nutritional information and a cultivated homologue</p><p>are available, the nutrient content in wild taxa exceeds than of phylogenetically related crop plants</p><p>with similar use. Traditional wild plant preparation forms for food and the nutritional value of a menu</p><p>constituted by wild food plants are presented. This research represents a preliminary step toward</p><p>selecting certain taxa that could be developed into new small- or large-scale crops or sustainably</p><p>harvested in the wild, contributing to food security.</p>