title: Ethnomedicinal values, phenolic contents and antioxidant properties of wild culinary vegetables.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional medicines comprise a variety of health practices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs. Documentation of traditional knowledge, estimation of total phenolics and antioxidant properties of plant species used as wild vegetables and in traditional medicines by the local communities of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan are targeted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews, questionnaires, and focus group conversation with local informants were carried out to record ethno-medicinal values. Used value, percentage of people who have traditional knowledge, preference ranking and informant consensus factors were also measured. Standard analytical methods were applied to estimate phenolic contents and antioxidant properties in water and acetone extracts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 39 plant species used as culinary vegetables and to treat 44 different health disorders are investigated. Significant levels of use value (0.571) and preference ranking (58% PPK, PR-5) are calculated for Ficus palmata, Ficus carica and Solanum nigrum. Elevated levels of total phenolics (144.5 mg GAE/100 g, FW), and flavonoid contents (142.5 mgRtE/100 g, FW) were measured in the water extracts of Origanum vulgare, while Ficus palmata exhibits the highest flavonol contents (142.7 mg RtE/100 g, FW). Maximum DPPH activity is noted in the flowering buds of Bauhinia variegata (85.34%). However, highest values for OH(-) radical scavenging activity (75.12%), Fe(3+) reducing antioxidant power (54.50 µM GAE/100 g, FW), and total antioxidant capacity (180.8 µM AAE/100 g, FW) were measured in the water extracts of Origanum vulgare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lesser Himalayas is a rich source of traditional cultural heritage, and plant biodiversity, which are under threat and necessitate urgent documentation. Present study is focused on the plant species used in traditional medicines and culinary vegetables as well. Preliminary determinations of phenoloic contents and antioxidant properties of various plant species were carried out. Present work will introduce new resource of medicinal and food plants, which could be used as functional food. Furthermore, phytochemical profiles, cellular based antioxidant properties, and isolation of active ingredients will be useful for consumers, and in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries of the country.
authors.affiliation: School of Light Industry and Food Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan. Electronic address: arshad799@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Arshad Mehmood
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abbasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Munir H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-7201, USA.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Light Industry and Food Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: School of Light Industry and Food Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-7201, USA.
authors.forename: Xinbo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-7201, USA. Electronic address: rl23@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Rui Hai
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005504:Food Analysis; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D010154:Pakistan; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010636:Phenols
keywords: Antioxidant properties; Culinary vegetables; Himalayas; Pakistan; Phenolics