Wild umbellifers traditionally used for food in Sicily and Bulgaria and their health benefits

Abstract

Numerous studies demonstrate that plant-based foods provide a large spectrum of bioactive compounds with lots of health benefits. The wide spectrum of consumed plants improves the nutritional adequacy of the diet. Ethnobotanical studies provide valuable data about plants used for food for centuries. The aim of this study is 1) to identify wild plants from the family Apiaceae traditionally used for food in Bulgaria and in Sicily and 2) to reveal their bioactive compounds and health benefits. As a result of the ethnobotanical review the folowing taxa are listed: Aegopodium podagraria L., Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm., Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm., Helosciadium nodiflorum (L.) W. D. J. Koch, Carum carvi L., Chaerophyllum bulbosum L., Daucus carota L. subsp. carota, Eryngium campestre L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill. subsp. vulgare, Kundmannia sicula (L.) DC., Smyrnium perfoliatum L., and S perfoliatum subsp. rotundifolium (Mill.) Bonnier & Layens (synonym S. rotundifolium Mill.). As members of the family Apiaceae some of them are popular spices due to the essential oils characterized by some interesting components such as germacrene D, D-limonene, limonene, eucalyptol, 1-nonene, pentadecane, estragole, β-(E)-, β-(Z)-ocimene, terpinolene, sapthulenol, pcymene-8-ol, p-cymene, myrtenol, (E)-anethole, αpinene, estragole, p-cymene, etc. Additionally, they contain flavonoids (rutin, cynaroside, apigetrin, luteolin, vanillin, myricetin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol and chrysin apigenin and its glycosides); phenolic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, hydroxybenzoic, 3.5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, protocatehuic, phydroxybenzoic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, ferulic, rosmarinic acids), carotenoids (β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, lycopene), polyacetylenes (falcarinol, falcarindiol, falcarindiol-3-acetate) and others. The pharmacological activities and the health benefits are discussed. The sustainable use will include protection of their native habitats and cultivation of some of them.