El género Scolymus Tourn. ex L. (Asteraceae): taxonomía y distribución

A taxonomic study of the genus Scolymus Tourn. ex L. is presented. Seven taxa are recognised, two of them new to science: Scolymus hispanicus subsp. occidentalis F.M. Vázquez, subsp. nov., and S. hispanicus [subsp. hispanicus] i. decoloratus Fiori ex F.M. Vázquez,/ nov.; a new combination, S. hispanicus [subsp. hispanicus] var. aggregatus (Ruch.) F.M. Vázquez, comb. & stat. nov., is proposed. The type and full synonymy for each taxon are given. A selection of the specimens studied is presented in Appendix I. Some of the taxa are illustrated in figures.Se presenta una revisión taxonómica del género Scolymus Tourn. ex L., en la que se reconocen siete táxones, dos de ellos nuevos para la ciencia: Scolymus hispanicus subsp. occidentalis F.M. Vázquez, subspnov. ., y S. hispanicus [subsp. hispanicus] f. decoloratus Fiori ex F.M. Vázquez,/ nov.; se propone una combinación a nivel de variedad: S. hispanicus [subsp. hispanicus] var. aggregatus (Ruch.) F.M. Vázquez, comb. & stat. nov. Se han revisado todos los sinónimos nomenclaturales y taxonómicos, y se incluye en el Apéndice I un listado de parte del material estudiado. Finalmente, se ilustra mediante figuras una parte de los táxones recogidos en el trabajo

Mediterranean non-cultivated vegetables as dietary sources of compounds with antioxidant and biological activity

Non-cultivated vegetables whose basal leaves have been traditionally consumed in Spain were evaluated for their potential in human nutrition, considering vitamin C, organic acids, tocopherols, phenolics and flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. As far as we know, this is the first report on organic acids and vitamin C of Anchusa azurea and Apium nodiflorum, on tocopherols of Anchusa azurea, Beta vulgaris, Chondrilla juncea, Rumex papillaris, Rumex pulcher, Silybum marianum and Taraxacum obovatum, as well as on the antioxidant capacity of most of them. Data revealed that the mentioned non-cultivated vegetables are good sources of bioactive compounds. Rumex pulcher, R. papillaris and Papaver rhoeas are rich in vitamin C, Sonchus oleraceus and Rumex papillaris in tocopherols. Rumex pulcher, Papaver rhoeas and Anchusa azurea showed promising antioxidant properties, which are related to their high levels of phenolic and flavonoids. Some species presented high levels of oxalic acid. Therefore, people with a trend of developing kidney calculus should avoid eating these greens (especially Silybum marianum, Sonchus oleraceus and Beta maritima) and choose species with low oxalic acid content such as Taraxacum obovatum and Cichorium intybus. The traditional consumption of these species after boiling and rejecting the water may decrease the amount of oxalic acid

Phytochemical screening, nutritional value, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and acute toxicity of Scolymus hispanicus: a wild edible plant in Morocco

Scolymus hispanicus L. (Golden thistle) is a well-known wild edible plant (WEP) in Morocco. However, the species value is not well investigated and its economic value is considerably low. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the phytochemical composition, the biological activities, and the acute toxicity of crude extract of S. hispanicus aerial parts. The mineral composition was assessed using an ICP-AES spectrometer and, the contents in polyphenol, flavonoids and tannins using colorimetric methods. The antioxidant activity was tested by DPPH assay. Disc diffusion and broth micro dilution methods were used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the safety of the plant extract was validated by performing acute toxicity. The findings revealed that this plant is a rich source of protein, carbohydrates and minerals especially iron and, have high contents of polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins. The biological evaluation of the plant extracts exhibited a remarkable antioxidant content and, a wide antibacterial activity and yeast inhibition. The results indicated also that the tested extract is safe with an LD50 higher than 5000 mg.kg-1. The study data suggest that S. hispanicus could be a promising functional and nutraceutical food with antioxidant and antimicrobial potential and can contribute to a balanced diet.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Impact of Deficit Irrigation on the Agronomic Performance and Chemical Composition of Scolymus hispanicus L

In the current study, the effects of drought stress on the growth and phytochemical profile of Scolymus hispanicus L. (a.k.a. golden thistle) were evaluated. Plants were treated with three irrigation regimes, e.g., plants that received only rainwater (Control; C), deficit irrigation (I1; 50% of field capacity (FC)), and full irrigation (Ι2; 100% of FC). The fresh weight of the rosette of leaves was not negatively impacted by deficit irrigation, whereas root development was severely restrained compared to control and I2 treatments. Drought stress conditions had a positive effect on the nutritional properties of the golden thistle since the treatments of control and deficit irrigation showed the highest content of macronutrients and energy. Oxalic acid was the richest organic acid, especially under the I1 regime. Similarly, α-tocopherol was the only identified vitamin E isoform, whose content was also doubled in I1 treatment. Raffinose, glucose, and sucrose were the most abundant free sugars in amounts that varied among the irrigation treatments, while the total and distinct free sugar content was the highest for the I1 treatment. The most abundant detected fatty acid compounds were α-linolenic acid, followed by palmitic and linoleic acid, with the highest amount being detected in C, I1, and I2 treatments, respectively. Flavonoids were the only class of polyphenols detected in golden thistle leaves, including mostly kaempferol and quercetin derivatives. The greatest antioxidant potency was shown for the control and I1 treatments (for OxHLIA and TBARS methods, respectively). The evaluated leaf samples recorded a varied antimicrobial effect for the different bacterial strains and fungi, whereas no cytotoxic, hepatotoxic, and anti-inflammatory effects against the tested cell lines were recorded. Finally, the mineral content of leaves was significantly affected by the irrigation regime, with Ca, Mg, Cu, and Zn being the highest for the I1 treatment, while the I2 treatment had the highest content of K, Fe, and Mn and the lowest Na content. In conclusion, deficit irrigation showed promising results since it improved the phytochemical content without compromising the fresh weight of leaves, and thus it could be suggested as a sustainable agronomic practice for producing high-added value products without significant constraints in growth development and yield parameters of golden thistle.This work was supported by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): CIMO, UIDB/00690/2020 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/00690/2020, accessed on 1 November 2023) and UIDP/00690/2020 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/00690/2020, accessed on 1 November 2023); and SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020, accessed on 1 November 2023). L. Barros, R. Calhelha and M.I. Dias (https://doi.org/10.54499 /CEECINST/00016/2018/CP1505/CT0004, accessed on 1 November 2023) thank the national funding by FCT through the institutional and individual scientific employment programs for their contracts. The doctoral scholarships from B.H. Paschoalinotto (2023.02731.BD) and M. Añibarro-Ortega (2020.06297.BD).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Knowledge, use and ecology of golden thistle (Scolymus hispanicus L.) in Central Spain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This paper assesses the current ethnobotanical knowledge, use and management of <it>Scolymus hispanicus </it>L. in two localities of Central Spain and the relation with its natural abundance. It also addresses the influence of sociodemographic factors such as age, gender and time living in the village in the variation of knowledge and practice levels.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>During 2007 and 2008, 99 semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire were made to a random stratified sample by sex and age, asking them about their traditional knowledge and practices (use and gathering) of <it>Scolymus hispanicus</it>. A knowledge and practice (KP) index was created based on the answers to the questionnaire.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p><it>Scolymus hispanicus </it>is still gathered and consumed by 20% and 35% of the informants, respectively. According to the KP index, the knowledge and practice level is similar in both villages. Age and time living in the village are the factors that better explain the variability in the KP level. People living for more than ten years in the village and those older than 60 years have the highest knowledge level, whereas the younger than 19 the lowest.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data suggests that the prevalence of ethnobotanical knowledge and uses depends more on the cultural importance of the plant and the transmission of such popular knowledge than on the resource's abundance.</p

Effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of wild Mediterranean edible plant extracts

The recent interest in wild edible plants is associated with their health benefits, which are mainly due to their richness in antioxidant compounds, particularly phenolics. Nevertheless, some of these compounds are metabolized after ingestion, being transformed into metabolites frequently with lower antioxidant activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the digestive process on the total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of extracts from four wild edible plants used in the Mediterranean diet (Beta maritima L., Plantago major L., Oxalis pes-caprae L. and Scolymus hispanicus L.). HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that S. hispanicus is characterized by the presence of caffeoylquinic acids, dicaffeoylquinic acids and flavonol derivatives, P. major by high amounts of verbascoside, B. maritima possesses 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, quercetin derivatives and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and O. pes-caprae extract contains hydroxycinnamic acids and flavone derivatives. Total phenolic contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and antioxidant activity by the ABTS, DPPH, ORAC and FRAP assays. Phenolic contents of P. major and S. hispanicus extracts were not affected by digestion, but they significantly decreased in B. maritima after both phases of digestion process and in O. pes-caprae after the gastric phase. The antioxidant activity results varied with the extract and the method used to evaluate the activity. Results showed that P. major extract has the highest total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity, with considerable values even after digestion, reinforcing the health benefits of this species.European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE)European Union (EU)European Union (FEDER)European Union (EU)Programa de Cooperacion Interreg V-A Espana - Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 [0377_IBERPHENOL_6_E]project INTERREG - MD. Net: When Brand Meets PeopleFCT Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technolog

Fatty acids profiles of some Spanish wild vegetables

Polyunsaturated fatty acids play an important role in human nutrition, being associated with several health benefits. The analyzed vegetables, in spite of his low fat content, lower than 2 %, presents a high proportion of PUFA of n-3, n-6 and n-9 series, such as α-linolenic, linoleic, and oleic acids, respectively. Wild edible plants contain in general a good balance of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. The present study tries to contribute to the preservation and valorization of traditional food resources, studying the fatty acids profile of twenty wild vegetables by GC-FID. Results show that species in which leaves are predominant in their edible parts have in general the highest PUFA/SFA ratios: Rumex pulcher (5.44), Cichorium intybus (5.14) and Papaver rhoeas (5.00). Due to the low n-6/n-3 ratios of the majority of the samples, they can be considered interesting sources of n-3 fatty acids, especially those with higher total fat amount, such as Bryonia dioica, Chondrilla juncea or Montia fontana, with the highest contents of α-linolenic acid (67.78, 56.27 and 47.65%, respectively). The wild asparaguses of Asparagus acutifolius and Tamus communis stand out for their linoleic acid content (42.29 and 42.45%, respectively). All these features reinforce the interest of including wild plants in diet, as an alternative to the variety of vegetables normally used

Bioactive compounds content and antimicrobial activities of wild edible Asteraceae species of the Mediterranean flora under commercial cultivation conditions

Nine wild edible species belonging to Astreaceae family, native to the Mediterranean basin were tested for their chemical composition (phenolic compounds, tocopherols, and organic acids) and antimicrobial activities over two growing periods, apart from Scolymus hispanicus and Hedypnois cretica which were tested for only one growing period. Flavonoids were the most abundant phenolic compounds in all the species, except for the case of Taraxacum species where significant amounts of chicoric acid were detected, while phenolic compounds content increased in the 2nd growing period by 4.6–397.4% for the tested species. α- and β-tocopherols were the main tocopherols, apart from Taraxacum sp. where significant amounts of γ-and δ-tocopherols (18.32 and 16.31 μg/ 100 g fresh weight) were detected, while total tocopherols content either increased (Reicardia picroides, Picris echioides, Urospermum picroides, and Taraxacum officinale) or decreased (Hymenonema graecum, Sonchus oleraceus, Taraxacum sp.) in the 2nd growing period. Oxalic acid was the most abundant organic acid, with the highest content (972 mg/100 g fresh weight) being observed in H. graecum (L.) DC. in the 1st growing period. Moreover, with the exception of H. graecum and S. olearaceus, total organic acids content increased in the 2nd growing period. Significant antimicrobial activities were observed against Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium and Penicillium ochrochloron for all the studied species. In conclusion, the studied species showed great potential for commercial cultivation, while plant extracts could find use in the food industry as alternative food preservatives.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), A. Feitor (SFRH/ BPD/114753/2016) and L. Barros contract; also to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal Programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E, and to Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, grant No. 173032.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio