Alemu Woinshet Kassie, Worku Limenew Abate, Bachheti Rakesh Kumar, Bachheti Archana, Engida Adam Mekonnen
Department of Industrial Chemistry College of Natural and Applied Sciences Addis Ababa Sciences and Technology University, P.O. Box-16417, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Department of Chemistry College of Natural and Computational Science Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
Int J Food Sci. 2024 Jul 24;2024:6408892. doi: 10.1155/2024/6408892. eCollection 2024.
In many parts of the world, wild edible plants (WEPs) constitute an essential component of the global food basket, providing an alternative source of wholesome and nourishing food. Ethiopia is one of countries of the world having largest concentrations of WEPs. In the country, various parts of WEPs, such as fruits, stems, leaves, tubers, roots, or entire plant sections, are frequently consumed and used as food sources for famine relief during seasonal food shortages, as well as for commercial purposes. WEPs have been also used in the country as sources of phytochemicals, traditional medicine, and pharmaceutical applications. Approximately 30%-40% of WEPs and over 413 different kinds of WEPs are commonly consumed by Ethiopians regularly. Most plant families utilized as WEPs are Moraceae, Fabaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Myrtaceae, Rosaceae, and Tiliaceae. The most widely used plant parts of WEPs were fruits. WEPs can be used as substitutes for traditional plant-based human diets because of their high nutritional value, which includes proteins, vitamins B2 and C, and low moisture content. This review focuses on using edible wild plants for pharmacological purposes, dietary supplements, and alternative medicine. Many obstacles prevent people from consuming WEPs, even when they are easily accessible and available. The use of WEPs must be encouraged by nutrition policies as one of the pillars of food and nutrition security. To increase yield, diversify the revenue streams of small-scale farmers, and protect the diminishing wild edible fruit resources, it is imperative to domesticate and enhance WEPs.
在世界许多地方，野生可食用植物是全球食物篮子的重要组成部分，提供了有益健康且营养丰富的食物的替代来源。埃塞俄比亚是世界上野生可食用植物最为集中的国家之一。在该国，野生可食用植物的各个部分，如果实、茎、叶、块茎、根或整株植物，经常被食用，并在季节性食物短缺时作为饥荒救济的食物来源，也用于商业目的。野生可食用植物在该国还被用作植物化学物质、传统药物和制药应用的来源。约30%-40%的野生可食用植物以及413种以上不同的野生可食用植物为埃塞俄比亚人经常食用。用作野生可食用植物的大多数植物科为桑科、豆科、大风子科、桃金娘科、蔷薇科和椴树科。野生可食用植物使用最广泛的植物部位是果实。由于野生可食用植物具有高蛋白、维生素B2和C以及低水分含量等高营养价值，它们可用作传统植物性人类饮食的替代品。本综述着重于野生可食用植物在药理用途、膳食补充剂和替代医学方面的应用。即使野生可食用植物容易获取且可得，但许多障碍仍使人们无法食用它们。作为粮食和营养安全的支柱之一，营养政策必须鼓励人们食用野生可食用植物。为了提高产量、使小规模农民的收入来源多样化并保护日益减少的野生可食用果实资源，对野生可食用植物进行驯化和改良势在必行。
