Agronomical Practices and Management for Commercial Cultivation of Portulaca oleracea as a Crop: A Review

Abstract

Soil is an essential resource, and its degradation is challenging modern agriculture, while its impact is expected to increase in the near future. One of the strategies to address this issue is to incorporate new alternative crops able to tolerate arduous conditions, as well as for the use of sustainable agricultural practices in order to recover and/or improve soil health. Additionally, the increasing market for new functional/healthy natural foods promotes the search for potential alternative crop species with promising bioactive compounds content. For this purpose, wild edible plants are a key option because they have already been consumed for hundreds of years in traditional gastronomy and there is well-established evidence of their health-promoting effects. Moreover, since they are not a cultivated species, they are able to grow under natural conditions without human intervention. Among them, common purslane is an interesting wild edible species and a good candidate for integration in commercial farming systems. With worldwide spread, it is able to tolerate drought, salinity and heat stress and is already used in traditional dishes, while it is highly appreciated for its high nutritional value due to its bioactive compound content, especially omega-3 fatty acids. In this review, we aim to present the breeding and cultivation practices of purslane, as well as the effects of abiotic stressors on yield and chemical composition of the edible parts. Finally, we present information that helps to optimize purslane cultivation and facilitate its management in degraded soils for their exploitation in the existing farming systems.

Unveiling the resistance of native weed communities: insights for managing invasive weed species in disturbed environments

“…Invasive weeds often have a high degree of adaptability to a wide range of climatic conditions, enabling them to thrive in diverse habitats (Paudel & Battaglia, 2021; Hierro et al ., 2022). The common purslane ( Portulaca oleracea ), for example, thrives in both moist and dry environments due to its succulent leaves and ability to tolerate drought (Wang et al ., 2020; Carrascosa et al ., 2023). They may also show rapid growth, early maturity, or more efficient resource use (Gann et al ., 2019).…”

Growth, Physiology and Nutritional Quality of C4 Halophyte Portulaca oleracea L. Grown Aeroponically in Different Percentages of Artificial Seawater under Different Light-Emitting Diode Spectral Qualities

“…Portulaca oleracea L. (known as purslane) is an annual succulent dicot plant, belonging to the family Portulaceceae Juss [ 1 ]. It grows mainly in the tropics and subtropics [ 1 ] but it is consumed worldwide [ 2 ]. It is an important plant because of its nutritional value [ 3 , 4 ] and medicinal benefits [ 4 , 5 ].…”

Antibacterial diarrhea effect and action mechanism of Portulaca oleracea L. water extract based on the regulation of gut microbiota and fecal metabolism

“…The function of P. oleracea L. recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica (本草纲目) includes clearing heat and removing toxicity, anti‐dysentery, cooling blood for hemostasis and anti‐consumptive thirst. Besides, P. oleracea also provides nutritional benefits due to its rich omega‐3 fatty acids and antioxidant properties 7 …”

“…Besides, P. oleracea also provides nutritional benefits due to its rich omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant properties. 7 Modern pharmacological studies have shown that P. oleracea possesses a variety of bioactivities, including antibacterial, 8 antiulcerogenic, anti-inflammatory, 9 antioxidant, 10 neuroprotective, 11 antidiabetic, 12 antioxidant, 13 anticancer, 14 antimicrobial, 15 antiinflammatory, 16,17 antiulcerogenic, 18 hepatoprotective activity, 19 and wound-healing 20 properties. Besides, there are many compounds, including flavonoids, alkaloids, fatty acids, terpenoids, polysaccharides, vitamins, sterols, proteins and minerals, that have been isolated from P. oleracea.…”