Ethnopharmacological and nutritional insights into wild leafy vegetables: implications for food security, nutraceutical potential, and environmental remediation

Abstract

Wild leafy vegetables (WLVs) play a pivotal role as alternative food and drug resources other than cultivated vegetables across the globe. Ethnic communities regularly consume these vegetables to supplement their nutritional and nutraceutical deficiencies. Furthermore, unlike conventionally cultivated species, WLVs have higher resilience and micronutrient concentrations, contributing significantly to food security and reducing micronutrient deficiency. These vegetables contain different bioactive components like flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and saponins, showing excellent antimicrobial and anticancerous activities. They also have the potential to remediate heavy metals from contaminated soil via phytoextraction, phytodegradation, phytovolatilization, and phytostabilization pathways. Therefore, it is crucial to explore, document, and investigate the ethnopharmacology of these WLVs as a potential alternative source of nutraceuticals. The public must be made aware of the natural potential of WLVs immediately to incorporate them into mainstream diets, which will improve food security, reduce malnutrition, and create employment. This article provides an overview of WLVs and their potential impact on human health and the environment.