Natural Toxins in Brazilian Unconventional Food Plants: Uses and Safety

Abstract

Brazil presents one of the greatest biodiversities in the world. Whether native, cultivated, or naturalized, over 48,572 species are currently recognized in the Brazilian flora. Data provided by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment reveals more than 200 thousand registered species in the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, and Pampa biomes. This approaches 15% of all plant species on the planet (do Brasil 2020; Flora do Brasil 2020 em construção 2020).Many of these native Brazilian species can be used as food sources, but their potential is still little known, either due to the lack of common knowledge, to restricted distribution/or use in the country, or to simple negligence. Such plants are currently known as unconventional food plants (UFP). UFP refers to plants that have one or more parts with food potential yet with unusual use; those which are not quickly recognized or acquired by the population of a given community; and plants that generally have no market value, being only sold in small scale, or are discarded, or plants which only possess one quality that is important to the market. These UFP can be described as native or exotic, cultivated or spontaneous, and can be adapted to local environments (Kinupp and de Barros 2007). Taken together, UFP become

Volatile organic compounds present in jerked beef, a traditional Brazilian meat product

“…Oxalic acid or oxalate, often found in plant tissues, is not metabolized by humans and is eliminated through the urine. Although the lethal oral dose of oxalate is high (500 to 3000 mg for adults), high intake of the compound can be toxic to the body and its undesirable effects often involve gastrointestinal reactions, hypocalcemia, and renal toxicity (Higashijima et al, 2020;Pereira et al, 2021). Both caprolactam and oxalic acid have migration limits established in RDC 56/2012.…”

Qualidade de mudas de espinafre da Amazônia (Alternanthera sessilis L.) propagadas por estacas

“…As hortaliças de maneira geral, tem o papel vital na dieta humana tanto na culinária quanto na indústria de fármacos, devido seus valores nutricionais, vitaminas, minerais, fibras, terapêuticos e alto valor de proteínas. Desta forma, as PANCs merecem destaque, uma vez que a flora brasileira apresenta uma rica diversidade de espécies ainda pouco utilizadas que podem constituir uma fonte de renda alternativa e opção de diversificação cultural, contribuindo para economia local e regional (PEREIRA et al, 2021). Além do mais, muitas espécies PANCs possuem fácil aptidão a propagação, baixo nível tecnológico, adequando-se a sistemas de cultivo orgânico e agroecológico (BRASIL, 2010).…”