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The Contribution of Wild Edible Plants to the Mediterranean Diet: An Ethnobotanical Case Study Along the Coast of Campania (Southern Italy)

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Abstract

The Contribution of Wild Edible Plants to the Mediterranean Diet: An Ethnobotanical Case Study Along the Coast of Campania (Southern Italy). Wild edible plants, an essential component of people’s diets in the Mediterranean basin, are consumed because they have a positive influence on health, supplying the body with microelements, vitamins, phenols, flavonoids, antioxidants, and fiber. In this paper we provide a list of wild plants used in the local cuisine along the coast of Campania, highlighting the medicinal properties of the most widely used species. Fieldwork was conducted from April 2017 to September 2019; in all, 69 informants were interviewed. We carried out an extensive literature review searching both national and international journals for ethnobotanical articles concerning the whole of Italy and especially the region of Campania, published from 1963 to 2019. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) index for each species is provided. Based on the interviews, 85 species and subspecies distributed in 29 families are documented as being used as food. Asteraceae was the most cited family (26.5%) followed by Brassicaceae and Lamiaceae (7.2%). The culinary uses of 11 wild species (13.5% of the total) were hitherto unreported in the ethnobotanical literature for Campania. The present study confirms the persistence of traditional plant use in the region of Campania. Ethnobotanical data, as well as the phytochemical and nutritional profiles of the species in question, offer insights into designing new dishes such as food pairing with other ingredients to improve nutritional and/or sensory quality (e.g., bitterness reduction, flavor enhancement, antioxidant bioavailability).

Resumen

Il contributo delle piante spontanee commestibili alla dieta mediterranea: un caso studio etnobotanico lungo la costa della Campania (Italia meridionale). Le piante eduli spontanee sono una componente essenziale della dieta delle popolazioni nel bacino del Mediterraneo e vengono consumate per la loro influenza positiva sulla salute, in quanto apportano all’organismo umano microelementi, vitamine, fenoli, flavonoidi, antiossidanti e fiber. In questo articolo forniamo un elenco di piante spontanee utilizzate nella cucina locale lungo la costa campana, evidenziando le proprietà medicinali delle specie più utilizzate. Il lavoro sul campo è stato condotto da aprile 2017 a settembre 2019; in tutto sono stati intervistati 69 informatori. Abbiamo effettuato inoltre una revisione della letteratura etnobotanica su riviste nazionali e internazionali riguardante l’intera Italia e in particolare la regione Campania, prendendo in considerazione gli articoli pubblicati dal 1963 al 2019. Viene fornito l’indice di frequenza relativa di citazione (RFC) per ogni specie. Sulla base delle interviste, sono state documentate 85 specie e sottospecie distribuite in 29 famiglie. Le Asteraceae sono la famiglia più citata (26,5%) seguita da Brassicaceae e Lamiaceae (7,2%). Gli usi culinari di undici specie spontanee (il 13,5% del totale) non erano stati finora riportati nella letteratura etnobotanica per la Campania. Il presente studio conferma la persistenza dell’uso tradizionale di piante spontanee nella regione Campania. I dati etnobotanici, nonché i profili fitochimici e nutrizionali delle specie in questione, offrono approfondimenti sulla progettazione di nuovi piatti come, ad esempio, l’abbinamento degli alimenti con altri ingredienti per migliorare la qualità nutrizionale e/o sensoriale (ad esempio riduzione dell’amarezza, miglioramento del sapore, biodisponibilità degli antiossidanti).

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Mark Walters who revised the English language. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not–for–profit sectors. Respondents were made aware of the aims of this study and Prior Informed Consent was obtained verbally. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

    R. Motti, G. Bonanomi, V. Lanzotti & R. Sacchi

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Motti, R., Bonanomi, G., Lanzotti, V. et al. The Contribution of Wild Edible Plants to the Mediterranean Diet: An Ethnobotanical Case Study Along the Coast of Campania (Southern Italy). Econ Bot 74, 249–272 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-020-09504-1

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