Antioxidant and Phenolic Profile of Wild Edible Vegetables of the Surghar Range, Pakistan

Abstract

This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of phenolics and antioxidants potential of 9 wild edible vegetables belonging to 9 genera and 6 families in the Surghar range, Pakistan. The selected vegetables were Momordica balsamina, Mentha longifolia, Portulaca oleracea, Cucumis melo var. agrestis, Apteranthes tuberculata, Amaranthus viridis, Achyranthes aspera, Ocimum americanum and Brassica rapa. Dominant families were Amaranthaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Lamiaceae each with 2 documented plant species.Apocynaceae, Portulacaceae and Brasicaceae were found with one species each.The highest antioxidant values were obtained from Portulaca oleracea(62.30%), Mentha longifolia (56.26%) and Ocimum americanum (47.95%). Lowest value was recorded in Cucumis melo var. Agrestis(1.56%). The maximum amount of phenolic contents were present in Amaranthus viridis (523.48 GAE/g), Achyranthes aspera(355.46 GAE/g)and Portulaca oleracea (341.05 GAE/g).Momordica balsaminawas observed with lower amount of phenolic content (45.70GAE/g). The findings underscore the rich antioxidant and phenolic contents potential of these underutilized wild edible species of the Surghar range, emphasizing their importance in addressing food security challenges, promoting sustainable development, and especially exploring their applications in nutraceuticals. Keywords: Wild Edible Vegetables, Antioxidant, Phenolic Content, Surghar  range, Nutraceuticals, Food Source