Chemical Features and Bioactivities of Lactuca canadensis L., an Unconventional Food Plant from Brazilian Cerrado

Ângela Liberal, Carla T. P. Coelho, Ângela Fernandes, Rossana V. C. Cardoso, Maria Inês Dias, José Pinela, Maria José Alves, Vanessa G. P. Severino, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira and Lillian Barros
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Ângela Liberal: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Carla T. P. Coelho: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Ângela Fernandes: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Rossana V. C. Cardoso: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Maria Inês Dias: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
José Pinela: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Maria José Alves: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Vanessa G. P. Severino: Instituto de Química, Campus Samambaia, Universidade Federal e Goiás, Avenida Esperança, s/n—Chácaras de Recreio Samambaia, Goiânia, Goiás, CEP 74690-900, Brazil
Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Lillian Barros: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: Throughout the world, people’s diet is generally quite restricted regarding the variety of plants used in their daily regime. The Unconventional Food Plant (UFP) Lactuca canadensis L. is an edible species of wild lettuce sparsely described in literature and considered to be native from the eastern and central parts of North America. To valorize this species as potential alternative food, an analysis of its nutritional, chemical, and bioactive properties was performed. The results specify the occurrence of organic acids, mainly quinic acid (127.9 ± 0.6 g/kg dry weight (dw)), polyunsaturated fatty acids (65.3%), among which are linolenic acid (44.4 ± 0.4 %), and tocopherols, mostly α-tocopherol (61.2 ± 0.7 mg/kg dw). Additionally, eight phenolic compounds were also identified, among which luteolin- O -glucuronide was found in larger amounts in both infusion and hydroethanolic extracts (5.46 ± 0.09 and 4.6 ± 0.1 mg/g dw, respectively). Carbohydrates and proteins were the main macronutrients (603 ± 1 and 177.5 ± 0.3 g/kg dw, respectively), followed by ashes (166.5 ± 0.9), indicative of a great amount of minerals. Additionally, good antioxidant and antibacterial activities were detected in the analyzed extracts. In general, our results contribute to extend the range of different, unexploited, and nutritionally balanced plant foods, such as Lactuca canadensis , that can and should be included in the daily diet.

Keywords: Lactuca canadensis L.; unconventional food plants; wild food relatives; phytochemical characterization; bioactive properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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