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Gathering of wild edible plant resources by people in sub-Saharan Africa is discussed with reference to pteridophytes, which is an ancient plant group. Pteridophytes are crucial to food diversity and security in sub-Saharan Africa, although they are notably neglected as a result of inadequate research and agricultural development. Current research...
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Inflammation plays a major role in many diseases, for instance in arteriosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disorders and cancer. Since many plants contain compounds with anti-inflammatory activity, their consumption may be able to prevent the development of inflammatory-based diseases. Edible ferns are some of the most important wild vege...
Citations
... In the Mediterranean, WEPs have been consumed as food for centuries, and their bioactive compounds are regarded to have great potential for developing into novel functional food products [9,10]. WEPs contribute significantly to the nutrition of local populations in Africa [11,12]. In North America, apart from nutritional value, WEPs have been deeply linked with ancestral culture [13,14]. ...
Background
Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and practice associated with wild edible plants (WEPs) is an important part of local culture of the Yao people in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County, which possesses the biggest population of Yao ethnic group in China. Economic development, urbanization, and transition of lifestyle and changing interests of the younger generations risk loss of such valuable knowledge. However, no record had been reported about WEPs from the Yao communities of Jianghua County. It is urgent to assemble data on the major WEPs and their uses in Jianghua. This can be used to educate and stimulate new interest in these WEPs, to aid inheritance and improvement of cultural identity and confidence, to enhance local resilience to various changes and to suggest pathways for novel and value-added applications to create new local business opportunities.
Methods
To record WEPs associated with TEK and practice, we conducted field surveys in 2018, 2019 and 2023. The ethnobotanical methods such as free-listing, participatory observation, semi-structured interview, and market survey were adopted in the field investigations. Information about WEPs including vernacular names, parts used, ways of use, and collection time were recorded. Voucher specimens were collected, identified, and deposited in the herbarium at Minzu University of China, in Beijing.
Results
Totally, 81 Yao people from 12 villages were interviewed. WEPs traditionally play a crucial role in Yao peoples’ daily lives. A total of 130 plant species from 89 genera and 49 families were recorded. The plants collected showed great diversity and reflected unique local culture. Most (54.5%) WEPs were also used as medicines. Baba can be defined as a cultural identity food, and WEPs are commonly used as tea substitutes for their health benefits.
Conclusions
We conclude that WEPs use is facing great challenges in a rapidly changing era. Preservation of WEPs related practice and knowledge is not only important for conserving local biocultural diversity, but also valuable in providing potential functional and healthy materials for food security and future economic development. Cultivation of young generations’ interest in nature and biodiversity, combined with local policy to enhance public awareness are recommended.
... Unfortunately, due to the impacts of urbanization and global migration, this sharing chain is continuously breaking and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) on MWEF is losing, leading to the loss of MWEF from tribal food baskets as well as from forests (Arjona et al., 2021). The state of Odisha has 62 tribal communities (Gandham, 2010) and 13 primitive tribal groups (Bisai et al., 2014 andBhakta andAsima, 2021) who exhibit similar circumstances and high MWEF usage.Numerous studies on MWEF have been conducted worldwide (Maroyi, 2014 andUl Abidin et al., 2023). In comparison to modern crops, these studies have emphasized their nutritional, ethno-botanical significance, cultivation, seed development, resistance to unfavourable soil and climate conditions (Mudau et al., 2022). ...
Qualitative phytochemical analysis and toxicity assessment to Artemia salina is carried out followed by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) using extracts of fruits of Zanthoxylum asiaticum, a minor wild edible plant of Odisha. Results revealed that fruit extracts have diverse secondary metabolites and methanol extract, showed highest toxicity to A. salina. TLC analysis of acetone extract showed appearance of maximum spots. The present study revealed that the fruits of Z. asiaticum can be used as nutraceutical agent for the future medico-food component.
... Various studies have been reported on the use of plants to treat various diseases, among them the fern plant known by the scientific name Pteridium aquilinum. P. aquilinum is used as a vegetable ingredient [4]. This plant is known contain anti-thiamine which is useful for exterminating insects, as an ornamental plant, and fertilizing peatlands [5]. ...
The utilization of natural resources around the community is one of the alternative anti-inflammatory medications. One of the several studies on this area reported that commonly people use Pteridium aquilinum leaves to heal wound instead of commercial gel medications. The research aimed to determine the activity and it effective dose of Pteridium aquilinum ethanol extract gel as an anti-inflammatory. The ethanol extract of Pteridium aquilinum was formulated in a gel with varying dosage concentrations of 1%, 1.5%, and 3% for 2 times applied a day in 14 days, with the incision wounds without fern ethanol extract gel as negative control and incision wound was treated with commercially as positive control. Observation on the wound length and the injured tissue histology of mice incision wound carried out on 3, 5, 7, and 14 days of treatment. The results prove that fern ethanol extract gel formula has anti-inflammatory activity on mice incision wound. Wound healing indicated by the closure of the wound on the skin. Based on the results can be concluded that Pteridium aquilinum ethanol extract has anti-inflammatory and heals mice incision wound affectively in 14 days with the best dosage concentration of 3%.
... The term "traditional vegetables" from cluster 3 is also added to the other three clusters, demonstrating a high degree of significance. However, in cluster 4 (plants), there is a combination with the term "neglected and underutilized sp." and cluster 2 (food security), demonstrating the relationship between them and the importance of neglected and underutilized plants for food security (Maroyi, 2014). Fig. 4 shows the details of the four clusters formed by VOSviewer software. ...
... Additionally, sweet sorghum has important attributes in family farming systems due to its susceptibility to agronomic and socioeconomic challenges (Motsi et al., 2022). Pteridophytes are important for diversity and food security in sub-Saharan Africa, but they are neglected due to inadequate research and a lack of agricultural development (Maroyi, 2014). Still, regarding their use, indigenous vegetables are not underused but undervalued (Weinberger, 2006). ...
... Ethiopia has hundreds of edible plants and is highly food and nutritionally insecure (Aragaw et al., 2021). With reference to wild edible plants used in sub-Saharan Africa for human consumption, Maroyi (2014) highlighted the pteridophyte group, with a total of 24 taxa belonging to 14 genera and 11 families. ...
O Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) desperta interesse devido a sua capacidade de reprodução em ambiente controlado. Estudos anteriores demonstraram que seus componentes são comparáveis aos encontrados na natureza, contendo diversos compostos bioativos como nucleosídeos, polissacarídeos, ácido γ-aminobutírico (GABA) e ergotioneína. A cordicepina, um nucleosídeo presente no C. militaris, possui atividades imunoestimulantes e antitumorais. A pesquisa foi realizada com a cepa Mound 4#4 bx6 #9 em um meio de cultura composto por extrato de malte, peptona de soja, sulfato de magnésio, citrato de amônio, fosfato de potássio monobásico e arroz. Os frascos inoculados foram mantidos sob condições controladas até a frutificação do fungo. Observamos que a luz teve um papel importante na pigmentação e morfologia das colônias, com maior pigmentação observada sob iluminação. O tempo de incubação também afetou a pigmentação, com aumento progressivo em algumas colônias. Concluímos que o cultivo de C. militaris é viável em condições controladas, com a luz e o substrato exercendo influência significativa na pigmentação e morfologia do fungo. Esses resultados contribuem para o avanço no entendimento do cultivo deste fungo e suas possíveis aplicações biomédicas.
... Diplazium proliferum -Konsumsi dan tanaman hias (Winter & Amoroso, 2003) ; (Maroyi, 2014). ...
Kawasan resort Tapos Taman Nasional Gunung Gede Pangrango (TNGGP) merupakan daerah yang masih alami dan rendah aktivitas manusia sehingga informasi mengenai flora di dalamnya belum banyak dilaporkan. Salah satunya adalah tumbuhan paku yang memiliki banyak manfaat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memberikan informasi mengenai jenis tumbuhan paku dan potensi pemanfaatannya di kawasan tersebut. Pengambilan sampel tumbuhan paku dilakukan dengan metode jelajah (Cruise Method) sepanjang jalur. Berdasarkan hasil diperoleh 34 jenis paku yang tergolong dalam 18 famili pada kedua lokasi. Terdapat 22 jenis paku yang termasuk dalam 15 famili di Cibayawak (CB) dan terdapat 15 jenis paku yang termasuk dalam 8 famili di Lebak Bumi Ciherang (LBC). Beberapa jenis tumbuhan paku yang ditemukan memiliki potensi yang bisa dimanfaatkan dalam bidang kesehatan, sosial dan ekonomi. Kondisi abiotik di kedua lokasi masih mendukung keberadaan jenis tumbuhan paku.
... Thus, ferns are the most advanced vascular lineage which retains the ability to synthesize ARA, EPA, and some other LC-PUFAs in vegetative tissues. Taking into account their terrestrial habitats and relatively high biomass productivity, the ferns deserve to be considered as a source of these LC-PUFAs especially since many fern species have a history of food consumption in different parts of the world [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. LC-PUFAs play important roles in human physiology and have the bioactive potential [19][20][21]. ...
... There are numerous records on edible ferns and their consumption for food in different regions around the globe [12][13][14][15][16][17]95]. However, for the application of ferns in the food industry, it is even more important to estimate the real economic value and resource potential of the edible ferns. ...
... One of these plant groups that may do well in a sun-blocking catastrophe are ferns (Polypodiopsida), given their fast-growing nature, short harvest time, cool tolerance, and shade tolerance. For example, the widespread range of bracken fern, and its multiple edible parts would make it ideal for domestication as a disaster food and indoor crop, however it has been proven to have toxic and carcinogenic properties (Maroyi, 2014;Ugochukwu, 2019;Kreshchenok et al., 2021;Sareen et al., 2021;Singla et al., 2022). Turning our attention to the current warming climate, finding crops that do better in warmer and drier conditions may be necessary. ...
Introduction
Increased risks from global climate change and sun-blocking global catastrophic risks (such as a nuclear winter), warrant the reevaluation of our food systems and their resilience to these climatic changes. Increasing native agrobiodiversity is a simple way of increasing food system resilience, and despite the vast amount of native genetic resources available in North America, the United States has shown little systematic effort to improve its agrobiodiversity.
Methods
We use a systematic literature review of staple Native American food plants (NAFPs) to determine the current state of research interest among them and suggest species of interest for domestication. The nutrient profiles and nutrient adequacy scores for the most researched staple NAFPs were also collected and calculated.
Results
A total of 174 Staple NAFPs were evaluated through systematic review, resulting in a total of 5302 peer-reviewed articles searched. Our findings show that most NAFPs are understudied and are more commonly seen by the agricultural community as weeds. However, there are a few that have current scientific interest in their value as a potential crop.
Discussion
We discuss the 24 most researched NAFPs and their nutritional content. We also discuss potential actions, protocols, and ethical issues regarding future steps in using NAFPs to increase agrobiodiversity and food resilience in the United States through more resilient agroforestry systems.
... The rhizome of many ferns such as Pteris is rich in starch and they are used as food. The young fronds or leaf tips which are popularly called fiddleheads and fiddleheads of many ferns are used as a vegetable [4][5][6]. Pteridophytes have been used in the preparation of medicine in Indian, Chinese, and Oriental systems of medicine to cure many human ailments [7][8][9]. Pteridophytes are abundant with phytochemicals including polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenoids [9,10]. ...
... Entire plant India [6] Blotiella glabra (Bory). R. M. Tryon Fiddle heads Democratic Republic of Congo [5] Blechnum orientale Linn. Fiddle heads, rhizome ...
... Fiddle heads Nigeria [5] Callipteris esculenta (Retz.) J. Sm. ...
Pteridophytes are non-flowering plants that are possessing horticultural and medicinal value. Vegetative parts or even entire plants, fiddleheads, and rhizomes of pteridophytes are edible and rich in nutritional composition. They are also possessing plentiful phytochemicals including flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, coumarins, chromones, phenylpropanoids, quinones, xanthones, terpenoids, alkaloids, and glycosides. These phytochemicals are demonstrated to have several biological activities including antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and neuroprotective effects. This review presents an overview of nutritional value, and phytochemicals present in pteridophytes. The biological activities of phytochemicals present in pteridophytes are also presented.
... Documents that favored the agricultural techniques of local peoples included keywords of indigenous knowledge (IK), folk beliefs, folk traditions, traditional knowledge, and traditional farming. Several papers stated that indigenous knowledge should be preserved but differed in their methods for doing so (Maroyi, 2014). Indigenous knowledge is based on daily experiences gathered and summarized to cope with climate hazards (Karunaratne et al., 2015) and preserve biodiversity (Hoeschle-Zeledon & Jaenicke, 2007). ...
... Attention to indigenous knowledge was also connected to local leadership promoting crop production, income generation, and food security (Kahane et al., 2013;Maroyi, 2014). ...
The category of "neglected and underutilized crops" (NUS) has been understood as negligence in research and consumption, aligned with development and conservation discourses. Nevertheless, the promotion of these crops has implied a rise in their costs and increased scientific patents, which have little to do with the discourse of ensuring food for Andean peoples. This dissertation builds on postcolonial concepts of coloniality of power, ecologies of knowledge(s), and the colonization of the lifeworld framework to analyze the construction of NUS from a Western and neoliberal point of view. It uses mixed methods like content analysis to identify the nuances in the definition of NUS in academic papers written in the last twenty years and interviewed scientists that participated in the production of the report The Lost Crops of the Incas by the National Research Council in the 1990s and key informants. Bibliometric data was used to identify trends in scientific production -in papers and patents- of three groups of Andean crops (grains, tubers, and fruits) since 1985. Finally, it employs official quantitative data from Peru's agriculture ministry to illustrate trends in national production (prices and cultivated area). The findings help to discuss two NUS narratives that, on the one hand, reinforce agricultural research to achieve food security goals and that are compatible with a trend in patenting these crops; and, on the other hand, a trend that pretends to associate Andean plant species with non-Andean consumers.
... Thursina (2010) reported that soil types have no impact on the water content of S. palustris whereas the highest ash was measured on peat soil (9.26%) followed by acid sulfate soil (9.12%), quartz sand soil (8.35%) and mineral soil (8.12%), respectively. The young frond of S. tenuifolia was edible and consumed as a vegetable in Madagascar (Maroyi 2014). ...
Chotimah HENC, Muliansyah, Widyawati W, Pitrama, Suparto H. 2022. Species, nutritional value, and elemental content of Stenochlaena distributed in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 5367-5372. Stenochlaena J. Smith is belonging to the family of Blechnaceae, consisting of only seven species and widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. In Central Kalimantan Indonesia, Stenochlaena is also widely distributed and abundant in this province. The paper will deliver the diversity of species, and chemical composition value of Stenochlaena in Central Kalimantan. The method used was a survey conducted in the tree district of Central Kalimantan namely Barito Selatan, Kapuas, and Palangka Raya. The key to species determination used was a paper published by Chamber (2013). Chemical composition was measured by proximate analysis while elemental content was established by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. This is the first report on the proximate and element components of some Stenochlaena species, other than Stenochlaena palustris. The results showed that there were four species of Stenochlaena found in Central Kalimantan, namely Stenochlaena palustris, Stenochlaena tenuifolia, Stenochlaena milnei and Stenochlaena cumingi. Stenochlaena palustris had the greatest moisture and proteins while S. cumingii had the highest content of ash. The biggest content of lipids was owned by S. milnei meanwhile S. tenuifolia had the most content of fiber. Stenochlaena palustris also had the highest N, P, K, Mg meantime, the highest Ca and Fe were in S. cumingii and S. milnei, respectively.
