Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition of Mediterranean Wild Vegetables after Culinary Treatment

• Main Authors: Patricia García-Herrera, Patricia Morales, Montaña Cámara, Virginia Fernández-Ruiz, Javier Tardío, María Cortes Sánchez-Mata
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Foods
• Subjects: underutilized greens; thermal treatment; nutritional composition; folates; vitamin C; minerals
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/12/1761

Studies are scarce on the nutritional and phytochemical composition of wild edible Mediterranean plants after culinary processing. This work provides the nutritional composition after culinary treatment (including dietary fiber and mineral composition) and bioactive compounds (folates, vitamin C and organic acids) of wild <i>Rumex pulcher</i> L., <i>Silene vulgaris</i> (Moench) Garcke. leaves, and wild <i>Asparagus acutifolius</i> L., <i>Bryonia dioica</i> Jacq., <i>Humulus lupulus</i> L., <i>Tamus communis</i> L. young shoots. Shoots better preserved their nutrients than leaves, due to their different tissue structure. Fresh and cooked wild greens present high dietary fiber values, and remained at remarkable levels after boiling. Na, K, Mg and Zn were lost in about 50% due to culinary processing, while Ca, Cu, Fe and Mn were more stable. Boiled leaves of <i>S. vulgaris </i>remained as a good Mn source. A portion of 100 g of most of the cooked analyzed species could cover a relevant percentage of the daily requirement of folates (<i>R. pulcher</i> and <i>A. acutifolius</i> providing more than 80%) and vitamin C (<i>T. communis</i> and <i>A. acutifolius</i> providing more than 35%).