Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Compounds of Quelites Consumed by Indigenous Communities in the Municipality of Juquila Vijanos, Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The indigenous communities of Mexico have a long tradition of consuming quelites. In this research, eight species of quelites that are traditionally consumed by indigenous communities of the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico, were characterized: Eryngium foetidum L., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Calceolaria mexicana Benth., Andinocleome magnifica (Briq.) Iltis & Cochrane, Cleoserrata speciosa (Raf.) H.H. Iltis, Phytolacca icosandra L., Cestrum nocturnum L. and Solanum nigrescens M.Martens & Galeotti. The ethnobotanical information of these species was recorded and the proximate composition, mineral content, and total phenolic and flavonoid content were determined. The antioxidant capacity of the samples was also investigated using ABTS (2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), DPPH (2,2-di(4-tert-octylphenyl)-1-picrylhydrazyl), and ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) methods. Quelites are available in the dry and rainy season. Quelites were found to have low energy contents while being good sources of fiber, of which A. magnifica possessed the highest concentration (8.61 ± 0.35 g/100 g fresh weight FW). Quelites were also found to provide essential minerals, with the primary contributions being potassium (4097.35 ± 12.28 mg/100 g FW) in C. mexicana, calcium (2418.63 ± 22.91 mg/100 g FW) in S. nigrescens, magnesium (1021.83 ± 10.58 mg/100 g FW) in E. foetidum, among others. C. speciosa and C. mexicana exhibited the highest concentration of phenols and flavonoids, which were found to be associated with higher antioxidant capacity. The quelites analyzed in this study are a potential source of accessible, nutritious, and healthy food, and can potentially help improve food security and health.

Contribution of the biodiversity of edible plants to the diet and nutritional status of women in a Zapotec communities of the Sierra Norte, Oaxaca, Mexico.

We explored the relationship between the diversity of edible plants and the nutritional status of housewives from a Zapotec municipality in Oaxaca, Mexico, during the dry and rainy seasons, and analyzed how sociodemographic variables influences this relationship. Edible plant availability, women's dietary diversity score (WDDS), nutrient intake, and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. WDDS, intakes of energy and nutrients were mainly influenced by seasonality. Older housewives with less schooling had a higher consumption of edible plants, and better nutritional status.