Usage of wild edible medicinal plants

Medicinal species have played major role in the traditional Mediterranean diet. Wild edible plants are usually grown under arduous condition with their natural habitat. These plants have a major role as analternative farming options in pedo-climatic conditions where the cultivationof conventional species is difficult to carry forward. Moreover, considering the high nutritional value and the medicinal properties of these plants a study examined the  importance of their commercial use and narrated the best cultivation practices.

 The flora of the Mediterranean basin includes many nativele edible medicinal species that have always represented an important food source for the rural communities of the Mediterranean area. Several studies havedemonstrated their important role in the traditional Mediterranean diet, whereas the pharmaceutical properties of many of these species have been confirmed and are attributed to their high content of anti-oxidative agents, phenolic compounds, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and essential minerals. The consumption of native species has substantially decreased and now-a-days is limited to rural areas due to the shift from a rural, agriculturally-based economy to a market-oriented one, as dictated by the modern way of living which is mainly based on the consumption of fast-food or ready to cook and eat food.