ERDF and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (CGL2006-09546/BOS). The authors are also grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologa (FCT, Portugal) and COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). P. García-Herrera thanks to the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science for her UCM predoctoral fellowship. We also thank to Ramón Morales, Laura Aceituno, and Susana González for their collaboration in the gathering and preparation of the samples, and also to Carmen Díez for her support in mineral analysis.
Wild Allium species with a long tradition of use, such as Allium ampeloprasum L. could provide interesting bioactive compounds to current diet. The nutrient and bioactive compound content of this wild vegetable has been scarcely known. Therefore, the aim of this work is to provide a detailed chemical quantification of nutrients, hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds and the antioxidant capacity of the edible parts of wild leek, as well as data about plant production and availability of the species in their natural habitats.
Wild leek can be considered as a low energy food, being a good source of fiber and zinc, compared to its cultivated relatives, and has revealed a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid being the main fatty acid. Additionally, the natural yield of this species, although lower than other cultivated Allium species, was found to be stable and well-adapted to human-disturbed environments. For these reasons, this non-conventional wild bulb should be revalorized as a good alternative to increase the diversity of vegetables consumed and enhance the quality of current occidental diets.
