Design a Database of Italian Vascular Alimurgic Flora (AlimurgITA): Preliminary Results

Self Cite

Lipophilic antioxidants are essential components, which have been pointed as bioactive beneficial for human health. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of domestic cooking (boiling, steaming) on the main carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene) and tocols in four different green leafy vegetables: Sonchus asper L. Hill, Sonchus oleraceus L., Spinacia oleracea L. and Cichorium intybus L. The total content of the analyzed compounds was determined following the method of alkaline hydrolysis of the matrix and solvent extraction. The leaching of soluble solids after domestic cooking was found to determine a gain in the investigated bioactive compounds in the cooked vegetables, so to cause an apparent content increase in all leafy vegetables, when expressed as mg/100 g dry matter. Considering solid losses, all lipophilic compounds were not affected by boiling; on the contrary, steaming slightly significantly decreased the contents of lutein and β-carotene (on average 20 and 15%, respectively).

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loss or Gain of Lipophilic Bioactive Compounds in Vegetables after Domestic Cooking? Effect of Steaming and Boiling

Fratianni

D’Agostino

Niro

et al. 2021

Self Cite

“…Indeed, the increased interest in ethnobotanical studies of local wild plants [7,12] emerged out of a need to create new products for the food industry with beneficial properties, as well as for sustainable agriculture because of the low impact of their cultivation on the environment [2,[13][14][15][16]. In this scenario, knowledge of edible plants biodiversity available in the local food tradition, and of new pathways for the eco-sustainable enhancement of food resources, constitute crucial aspects to intercept in marginal or valuable areas (e.g., Nature Reserves and National Parks), in full agreement with the EU's biodiversity strategy plan for 2030 [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calendula arvensis (Vaill.) L.: A Systematic Plant Analysis of the Polar Extracts from Its Organs by UHPLC-HRMS

Fiorentino

Gravina

Piccolella

et al. 2022

Calendula arvensis (Vaill.) L. (field marigold, Asteraceae) is an alimurgic plant, whose flowers and leaves are a common part of local food dishes. The diversity in polar specialized metabolites is herein unraveled, with the aim to further promote and valorize the food use of the plant. To this purpose, following the plant dissection of its organs (florets, fruits, leaves, bracts, stems, and roots), ultrasound assisted maceration has been employed in order to recover phenols and polyphenols. Through an untargeted UHPLC-HR MS (Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry) approach, and deeper investigation of the fragmentation patterns of each compound by tandem mass spectrometry, the florets’ constitution in triterpene saponins and flavonol glycosides has been highlighted, whereas hydroxycinnamoyl compounds are mainly in bracts and fruits. The antiradical and reducing capabilities of the organs’ extracts have been assessed, and data acquired have been analyzed by cluster analysis, which allowed bracts and fruits to be observed, despite their negligible food use, as the most active extracts. Chemical and antioxidant data on the diverse organs of field marigold suggest new investigative food and nutraceutical scenarios of this plant, also revalorizing and preserving its traditional uses.

“…For example, Guarrera [34] reported a total of 580 food species for the whole of Italy, while Guarrera and Savo [29] stated that 276 wild taxa are used in traditional vegetable mixtures in Italy. More recently, the review carried out by Paura et al [39] reported the use of 1103 wild food taxa for the whole of Italy. Biscotti et al [40] and Pasta et al [41] summarized the ethnobotanical use of 214 and 292 wild food taxa for the Apulia and Sicily regions, respectively.…”

Section: General Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, our results provide a relevant and novel contribution to the knowledge of food plants in Tuscany and in Italy by including original data from graduation theses. It is important to point out that the review carried out by Paura et al [39] counted a total of 341 food species for Tuscany. Unfortunately, this database is not accessible online and it was not possible to compare our data to those recorded by these authors.…”

Section: General Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Renaissance of Wild Food Plants: Insights from Tuscany (Italy)

Baldi

Bruschi

Campeggi

et al. 2022

This paper provides an overview of wild food plants traditionally used in the gastronomy of Tuscany, an Italian region with high biological diversity and whose cultural heritage is well known. Forty-nine bibliographic sources, including five unpublished studies, were reviewed. A list of species with ecological characteristics, plant parts used, use category (food, liquor, or seasoning), methods of preparation (raw or cooked), and recipes is presented. The use of 357 taxa (3711 use reports, URs), was recorded, belonging to 215 genera and 72 botanical families. Over the total taxa, 12 are new for Tuscany, 52 seem not to be present in other Italian regions, and 54 were not detected in the consulted European ethnobotanical literature. Of these taxa, 324 (3117 URs) were used as food, while 49 (178 URs) and 81 (416 URs) were used for liquor and seasoning, respectively. Of the 17 different food recipes, cooked vegetables constituted the largest group, followed by salads, omelets, snacks, and fillings. The chemical composition of the recorded food plants and the possible safety risks associated to their consumption, as well as their traditional medicinal use, are also shown. This review highlights the richness of ethnobotanical knowledge in Tuscany. Such biocultural heritage can be a “source of inspiration” for agriculture. As a reservoir of potential new crops, wild edible flora may contribute to the development of emerging horticultural sectors such as vertical farming and microgreens production. Moreover, the nutrient content and healthy properties of many wild food plants reported in this study has the ability to meet consumer demand for functional foods.