Culinary and nutritional value of edible wild plants from the northern Spain rich in phenolic compounds with potential health benefits

Wild edible plants (WEPs) have been consumed since ancient times. They are considered as non-domesticated plants that grow spontaneously in nature, particularly on forests and bushlands, where they can be found and collected to be incorporated into the human nutrition. Increasingly, WEPs are gaining importance as they are potential sources of food due to their nutritional value, besides showing health positive effects and offering innovative applications in haute cuisine. As these autochthonous plants grow naturally in the environment, they are more suitable to adapt to different climate conditions and biotic and abiotic factors. Therefore, a door is open to its possible cultivation as it seems to show fewer expenses than other commercially cultivated plants. Moreover, consumer’s demand for new products of natural origin, sustainable and ecologically labeled, also boosts WEPs’ recovery and incorporation into the market. In addition, they are considered as promising sources of essential compounds needed on human diet such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, but also of other minor compounds as phenolic compounds, vitamins or carotenoids that have shown numerous beneficial bioactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or anti-tumor activity. The use of these plants rich in bioactive molecules could be beneficial from a health point of view as the human body is not always capable of producing enough defenses, for instance, for preventing oxidative damage. Particularly, the presence of phenolic compounds in these vegetal matrixes supposes a prophylactic effect against further pathologies and disorders related to aging or oxidative stresses. Regarding all this information and based on traditional knowledge and ethnobotanical data, different WEPs found in the Northwest region of Spain were selected, namely, Mentha suaveolens, Glechoma hederacea, Prunus spinose, Apium nodiflorum, Artemisia absinthium, Silybum marianum, Picris hieracioides, Portulaca oleracea, Crithmum maritimum and the genus Amaranthus. However, even though tradition and popular knowledge are excellent tools for the exploitation of these plants, it is necessary to develop regulations on this aspect to assure the security and veracity of food products. This article reviews the main aspects of their bioactive properties, their traditional use and their incorporation as new functional food, looking for innovative and healthy gastronomic applications.