Plantas alimentícias não concenvionais do Nordeste: uma revisão

Abstract

The Non-conventional Food Plants (PANC) are food plants that in most of the time shows high nutritional value, but, they aren’t many popular or used for food purposes. They are species of regional or native plants, that can grow spontaneous or cultivated, resistant to pests and diseases, showing up well adapted. Some of these plants pass unnoticed by the population due the unfamiliarity of its nutritional potential or because there is a certain prejudice on the part of consumers, as the PANCS are known in the great majority, as “bushes to eat” or “weeds”. The objective of this work was comprehend in a bibliographic survey, addressing ten species of Non-Conventional Food Plants found in Northeast Brazil, presenting its nutritional, physicochemical and food applications. One hundred and seventeen (117) scientific sourc ervas daninha es were consulted to carry out the research using the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO) as database, the ACADEMIC GOOGLE and other complementary source. The PANC banana heart, mandacaru, forage palm, gherkin, jurubeba, purslane, vinaigrette, red jambo, nirá and yam were briefly explained, and finally, a vegetable paste based on yam, forage cactus and nirá was presented, containing its formulation, processing and storage conditions. Studies on Not-Conventional Food Plants, their species and applications are still scarce, which is why their importance, sustainable cultivation and management, to show the nutritional potential and applicability of these plants.