Nutritional, Bioactive, Antioxidant, and Safety Assessment of Some Wild Edible Medicinal Plants Commonly Consumed in Morocco

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of wild edible medicinal plants (WEMPs) in Morocco, information on their nutritional value, bioactive composition, and safety aspects is limited. Thus, the present study was aimed at evaluating the nutritional value (proximate and mineral contents), phytochemical properties, and acute toxicity of Dysphania ambrosioides , Ziziphus lotus , and Origanum vulgare collected from central Morocco. Nutritional composition was determined using standard food analysis methods, while total phenolic and flavonoid contents were quantified colorimetrically. Antioxidant activities were assessed by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. The acute safety profile of the plant extracts was evaluated through acute toxicity testing in rats. Results revealed that the studied WEMPs contained valuable nutrients in the respective ranges of moisture (6.25%–10.23%), ash (4.81%–14.85%), protein (6.98%–20.43%), fat (2.26%–2.88%), carbohydrates (63.75%–85.33%), and energy (345.45–395.16 kcal·100 g −1 ). They were also rich in essential minerals, particularly magnesium (46.76–95.77 mg·100 g −1 ), iron (1.73–4.31 mg·100 g −1 ), and manganese (1.65–2.02 mg·100 g −1 ). The total phenolic and flavonoid contents ranged from 64.45 to 207.30 mg GAE·g −1 extract and from 18.84 to 117.18 mg QE·g −1 extract, respectively. Antioxidant assays showed strong correlations with phenolic and flavonoid contents. Acute toxicity results indicated that all extracts were well tolerated, with LD50 values higher than 5000 mg·kg −1 body weight, suggesting the absence of acute toxicity under the experimental conditions. Overall, the findings demonstrate that these WEMPs represent valuable sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential and could serve as natural dietary antioxidants to help mitigate oxidative stress.