Researchers identify 1,044 underused plants that could combat vitamin deficiency

There are more than 1,000 plants that could be used to address vitamins B and C in people.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Imperial College London, and partners from the UK and the US have published a paper in Nature Plants that shows the results of a study on the potential source of vitamins B and C.

It helps break down and release energy from food and maintain a healthy nervous system with the help of vitamins B and C. It's essential for human health but not always in developed countries.

The data was gathered for nearly 300 plant species. The researchers used evolutionary relationships for these plants to predict vitamins for over 6,000 plant species.

Approximately 1,000 plant species have been identified as potential sources of five different B vitamins. 63 of the plants are threatened in their natural environment.

The future of food.

Aoife Cantwell-Jones, a researcher from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London, is the lead author of the paper. Our study is an important step in that direction.

The number of threatened species could be much higher if 358 of the potential source species hadn't had their status assessed. South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are two of the places where vulnerable and rich species are found. The need for further action to ensure that the diversity of plants remains a source of nutrition for future generations is highlighted by these findings.

More than two billion people suffer from malnutrition worldwide so improving long-term access to a diversity of wild and cultivated plant sources of micronutrients is key.

Only a small percentage of the thousands of plants found on Earth have had their nutrition characterized. The study shows how our knowledge of plant diversity and evolutionary relatedness can help preserve nature and its contributions to people.

There are sources of vitamins B and C.

Meats, dairy products, eggs, and some fresh fruits are some of the most popular sources of B vitamins. B vitamins can be supplemented with fortified foods.

Fonio, which is native to the savannas of West Africa, is one of the examples of non-threatened plants that have been identified as potential B vitamins. They are fast-growing and resistant to hot and dry climates, which could make them a major food source for the future.

Several oat species are found in Europe and the UK. The Ethiopia oat is a traditional and underutilized food with high potential for food security.

There are fruits and seeds of the adansonia that are native to the island. They may be a good source of B9), but they are also used for other things, such as charcoal and timber, which leads them to be Critically Endangered.

Secale africanum is only found in South Africa. It used to be common in the area, but it has experienced decline due to poor land management and diseases. The Durian from Borneo, Indonesia, is a threatened species due to the expansion of agriculture.

Making the most of new information.

In order to make use of these potential source species, Aoife said that we should first make sure they remain available in the wild and that we know how to use them. Both source species and traditional knowledge should be prioritized for preservation.

She said that these species could be used to complement our food systems through conventional breeding or directly consuming them.

More information: Aoife Cantwell-Jones et al, Global plant diversity as a reservoir of micronutrients for humanity, Nature Plants (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01100-6 Journal information: Nature Plants Citation: Researchers identify 1,044 underused plants that could combat vitamin deficiency (2022, February 24) retrieved 24 February 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-02-underused-combat-vitamin-deficiency.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.