Lettuce: a promising leafy vegetable with functional properties

Abstract

Lactuca sativa (lettuce) belongs to Asteraceae family important leafy vegetable known for its medicinal properties. The lettuce is a food that should not lack in our meals, we should keep in mind that its low fat and carbohydrate contents and its high contents of water, it provides caloric power of only 13 Kcal /100 gm are very appropriate for weight loss diets. It is rich in minerals, especially potassium that is very necessary to maintain appropriate levels of liquids in the body, together with calcium and phosphorus makes it especially for the correct well being of the bones. It contains selenium, an antioxidant that has a medicinal property in prevention of certain type of cancers, colon, prostrate and lungs. It contains many necessary amino acids for the formation of the proteins, alanine, and necessary for the construction of muscular and nervous tissues, glycine for the correct operation of immunological system. The most of therapeutic properties of this plant is due to sesquiterpene lactones-lactucin, lactucopicrin the most bioactive compound of Lactuca sativa. This review mainly focuses on the pharmacological action of the Lettuce and active constituents for the wide spectrum biological properties, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, analgesic, neuroprotective and sedative properties, etc. Since Lettuce has medicinal therapeutic potential its usage in dietary supplementation can be exploited. Lettuce has also acquired a folk reputation. More clinical studies are needed to further asses the efficiency and safety in therapeutic application.

Toward Human Health-Promoting Food Plants: Perspectives of Marker-Assisted Breeding of Anthocyanin-Rich Lettuce

“…Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the widely used leaf vegetables and is a member of the Asteraceae family (Anilakumar et al, 2017). Lettuce has short vegetation period and can be easy grown in field or soil-based greenhouse as well as by use of hydroponic, aeroponic or vermiponic systems (Barbosa et al, 2015;Bartzas et al, 2015).…”

Evaluation of biochar as a soil amendment on the accumulation of cadmium on lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

“…For this reason, it is considered one of the most popular vegetables (Cong et al 2017). Lettuce provides a good source of minerals and biologically active compounds (Anilakumar et al 2017). Lettuce is one of the most sensitive vegetables to cadmium accumulation, and biochar is a soil amendments.…”

The Integrated Effect of Microbial Inoculants and Biochar Types on Soil Biological Properties, and Plant Growth of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

“…Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) of the Asteraceae family is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and western Asia, as well as South Europe. Lettuce provides a good source of minerals and biologically active compounds [ 25 , 26 ] and is cultivated worldwide. However, studies about the impacts of microbial inoculants combined with biochar amendments for improving the growth of lettuce are rare or missing.…”