Ferns have myriad compounds and are used by native people as food for a long time but this use seems to diminish over time. Knowing their use as food, bioactives and proteins were determined to demonstrate their health and wellness benefits. Ten species of edible ferns were collected and propagated in the Pteridogarden. The young sterile fronds were used to determine bioactives and proteins. The bioactives were determined by thin layer chromatography, DPPH assay, Bradford assay and SDS-PAGE. A seminar-field visit was conducted to disseminate the new information gathered and a recipe book was prepared. Phytochemical analysis revealed alkaloids, saponins, phenolics, terpenes and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity ranged from 32.5-76.0% relative to ascorbic acid or 31-152µmol ascorbic acid/g wet weight. The protein content ranged from 0.1-4.4mg/g wet weight. The molecular weights of component proteins ranged from 10-250kDa. Marsilea crenata, Acrostichum aureum, Pteris ensiformis¸ Angiopteris palmiformis, Asplenium nidus and Diplazium esculentum exhibited high quantifiable antioxidant activity. On the other hand, M. crenata, A. aureum, P. ensiformis, A. palmiformis, D. esculentum and Stenochlaena palustris have high protein content. These results together with food recipes were disseminated to the public. The ten species of edible ferns contain quantifiable amounts of antioxidants and proteins. Based on these data and the dishes prepared, M. crenata, D. esculentum¸ S. palustris, P. ensiformis, A. palmiformis, A. nidus and A. aureum are potential and alternatively good food source.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.