An Updated Checklist of the Sicilian Native Edible Plants: Preserving the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Century-Old Agro-Pastoral Landscapes

Pasta, Salvatore; Rosa, Alfonso La; Garfì, Giuseppe; Marcenò, Corrado; Gristina, Alessandro Silvestre; Carimi, Francesco; Guarino, Riccardo

doi:10.3389/fpls.2020.00388

Cited by 31 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…In some cases (e.g., Veneto, Tuscany, Sicily) the number of taxa mentioned in the database AlimurgITA appears to differ, although just by a few units, from the one recorded in summary publications of a regional nature [ 70 , 77 , 97 , 98 ]. The difference is due to the different criterion for choosing WEPs, to the different nomenclature system and to any updates of lists with the acquisition of new data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The precautionary principle also applies when there are two species which are morphologically very similar, one of which rare and the other frequent which can be mistaken one from the other, leading to the disappearance or reduction of population of the rarest species. This is the case of several endemic regional plants which are found and eaten only in one Region, such as Anchusa capellii (= Anchusa crispa ) in Sardinia [ 75 ] and Urtica rupestris in the Sicily [ 108 ] whose use is questioned by [ 98 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design a Database of Italian Vascular Alimurgic Flora (AlimurgITA): Preliminary Results

Paura

Marzio

Salerno

et al. 2021

Plants

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Despite the large number of data published in Italy on WEPs, there is no database providing a complete knowledge framework. Hence the need to design a database of the Italian alimurgic flora: AlimurgITA. Only strictly alimurgic taxa were chosen, excluding casual alien and cultivated ones. The collected data come from an archive of 358 texts (books and scientific articles) from 1918 to date, chosen with appropriate criteria. For each taxon, the part of the plant used, the method of use, the chorotype, the biological form and the regional distribution in Italy were considered. The 1103 taxa of edible flora already entered in the database equal 13.09% of Italian flora. The most widespread family is that of the Asteraceae (20.22%); the most widely used taxa are Cichorium intybus and Borago officinalis. The not homogeneous regional distribution of WEPs (maximum in the south and minimum in the north) has been interpreted. Texts published reached its peak during the 2001–2010 decade. A database for Italian WEPs is important to have a synthesis and to represent the richness and complexity of this knowledge, also in light of its potential for cultural enhancement, as well as its applications for the agri-food system.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design a Database of Italian Vascular Alimurgic Flora (AlimurgITA): Preliminary Results

Paura

Marzio

Salerno

et al. 2021

Plants

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“…This has occurred in particular in small islands, where today the economy is mainly based on tourism [9,60]. On the other hand, ethnobotanical studies have shown that in Sicily, a high number of wild taxa are still utilized as vegetables [71,72], especially those at the interface between food and medicine [73].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnobotany of the Aegadian Islands: safeguarding biocultural refugia in the Mediterranean

Rosa¹,

Cornara

Saitta

et al. 2021

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Background The Aegadian Islands are located west of Trapani, Sicily. Once the site of bountiful tuna fisheries and fruit orchards (plums, peaches, apricots), grapevines, prickly pears, and grains, the local economy is now based on tourism, and many traditional agricultural and maritime practices have been abandoned. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the state of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) concerning the use of wild and cultivated plants and fungi for human health, food, maritime, and agricultural purposes on the islands of Levanzo, Favignana, and Marettimo and compare present-day practices with those documented in the past. Methods In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in Italian with 48 participants with prior informed consent from May 2016 to July 2017 and October 2018. Herbarium voucher specimens of wild species were collected for herbarium deposit. A rigorous literature review of scientific and other local reports on TEK of wild flora and their application in food, health, and household applications was undertaken for the purpose of comparing findings from this field study with prior reports. Results A total of 122 plant and five fungal taxa representing 54 families were cited for 355 uses. Among the most pervasive species in the landscape, Agave americana and A. sisalana had diverse applications in the past, which ranged from cordage for agricultural and maritime applications to tools for sewing, eating land snails, and constructing furniture. Fields of Ferula communis also dominate the landscape, and the dry stems were used extensively in furniture making; this species also serves as an environmental indicator for the location of the most preferred edible mushrooms, Pleurotus eryngii var. ferulae. Other important flora included topical medicinal applications of Glaucium flavum for hematomas and Artemisia arborescens for ritual bathing of newborns. Conclusion While many plant-based traditions have disappeared from daily practice, especially those related to traditional fishing and health practices, they remain in the memories of the eldest subset of the population. Documenting this knowledge before it disappears from oral history is a key factor in reducing loss of TEK and biocultural diversity, safeguarding the role of the Aegadian Islands as biocultural refugia.

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“…In this region, the environment is characterized by a greater abundance of endemic flora. The richness and diversity of wild species, their collection times, and edaphoclimatic and growing environments make it difficult to standardize their nutritional composition, causing heterogeneity of their components [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Consequently, the highest contents of bioactive components are obtained by respecting their temporality and optimal vegetative development [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Volatiles Profile Characterization of Two Edible Undervalued Plants: Portulaca oleracea L. and Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass

Fukalova

García-Martínez

Raigón

2022

Plants

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Wild edible plants are an important source of healthy food and have played an important role in traditional Mediterranean diets. In this paper, quality characteristics were typified in Portulaca oleracea L. and Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass, undervalued plants inherent to the spring-summer season in the Valencian coastal region. Nutritional composition and bioactive compounds were analyzed and compared between plants in wild and organic cultivation conditions. Proximate analysis was carried out according to Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. Total antioxidants were measured as 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate and total polyphenols content via the Folin–Ciocalteu procedure. The HS-SPME technique was used to characterize the volatiles profile, and the polyphenol profile was evaluated by HPLC. The most important microelement was iron. Total antioxidants ranged from 4392.16 to 7315.00 μmol Trolox·equivalents 100 g−1 fw, and total phenolic content ranged from 99.09 to 391.18 mg gallic acid equivalents·100 g−1 fw. Results show that the content of antioxidants and phenols was higher in wild species than in cultivated ones. The volatiles profile revealed that P. ruderale was rich in monoterpenoids (48.65–55.82%), and fatty alcohols were characteristic in P. oleracea species (16.21–54.18%). The results suggest that both plants could be healthy foods and could have new sustainable agro-ecological potential for the local commercial sector.

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An Updated Checklist of the Sicilian Native Edible Plants: Preserving the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Century-Old Agro-Pastoral Landscapes

Cited by 31 publications

References 92 publications

Design a Database of Italian Vascular Alimurgic Flora (AlimurgITA): Preliminary Results

Design a Database of Italian Vascular Alimurgic Flora (AlimurgITA): Preliminary Results

Ethnobotany of the Aegadian Islands: safeguarding biocultural refugia in the Mediterranean

Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Volatiles Profile Characterization of Two Edible Undervalued Plants: Portulaca oleracea L. and Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass

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