Alimurgic plants: The sustainable plants: The sustainable source of functional food and health promoting substances

The Mediterranean diet is one of the best dietary patterns for healthy ageing and longevity. One of its key factors is the daily consumption of a wide diversity of seasonal fruits and vegetables, including regional and widespread wild edible plants, which together offer a rich source of functional food. Some studies have proved that spontaneous vegetables in many cases complice a higher level of micronutrients and biologically active secondary compounds than cultivated representatives. Although some species were highly valued in the past, today they have lost their significance as a resource of nutrients, have been rejected, or even being totally forgotten. The loss of knowledge and reduced consumption of wild edible plants (WEPs) are among the major reasons leading to the well-known “western” disorders. The main Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO’s) strategic goal is to highlight the WEPs and intraspecific biodiversity as an essential part of global nutritional safety and sustainable development. Our research interests are focused on Asphodelaceae family, especially the alimurgic plant Asphodeline lutea . The present review will summarize the potential of alimurgical plants as a functional food, the phytochemical and pharmacological approaches for their analysis using Asphodelaceae case study. Some of the safety aspects of the consumption of WEPs and their use in food supplements will also be addressed.