title: Nutritional values and bioactive components of under-utilised vegetables consumed by indigenous people in Malaysia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diverse plants species in the forest remain under-utilised and they are mainly consumed only by local people. However, increasing issues in food security prompted the present study, which explores the nutritional and antioxidant aspects of Malaysian under-utilised vegetables. The studied vegetables were Paku Nyai (Stenochlaena palustris), Cemperai (Champereia manillana), Maman Pasir (Cleome viscose), Dudung (Erechtites valerianifolia) and Semambuk (Ardisia pendula).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, these vegetables exhibited a low proximal content but they were high in vitamin C [7.07-1263 mg kg(-1) edible fresh sample (EFS)] and β-carotene content (18.4-43.9 mg kg(-1) kg(-1) EFS). Cemperai had the highest calcium content (565 mg kg(-1) EFS), whereas Semambuk had the highest total phenolic content [28.21 g gallic acid equivalents kg(-1) edible dried sample (EDS)] and antioxidant activity (86.1%) measured using β-carotene bleaching assay. Maman Pasir contained the highest total flavonoid content (39.99 g CE kg(-1) EDS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical scavenging activity (82.2%). The extracts of these vegetables had significantly prevented the oxidation of haemoglobin and low-density lipoprotein, which yielded a reduced production of malondialdehyde.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Semambuk and Maman Pasir are potent to be used as new food and functional food sources as they are rich in nutrients and antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Norsuhaila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abdul Wahab
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rohaina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahdan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Zabidah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ahmad Aufa
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.|Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kin Weng
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Hafizan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Johar
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Zalilah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shariff Mohd
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.|Laboratory of Halal Science Research, Halal Products Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ismail
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D004032:Diet; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry; D008296:Malaysia; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D010851:Picrates / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*; D055815:Young Adult; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D005419:Flavonoids; D006454:Hemoglobins; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D010636:Phenols; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols; D019207:beta Carotene; D008315:Malondialdehyde; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D002118:Calcium
keywords: antioxidants; polyphenols; proximate; under-utilised vegetables