Evaluation of mineral composition of some wild edible plants growing in the Eastern Anatolia Region grasslands of Turkey and consumed as vegetable

This study was conducted to determine the mineral contents and some nutritional properties of four wild edible plants (Bellevalia forniculata, Beta corolliflora, Caltha polypetala and Primula auriculata) growing in the grasslands of Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey and are consumed as vegetable. This is the first scientific report on the nutritional composition of these species. The moisture content, pH, ash and total nitrogen content of the plants ranged from 79.73 to 86.10%, 4.85 to 5.61, 7.33 to 17.12% and 1.68 to 3.77%, respectively. Mineral analysis showed that the wild plants contained considerably high amounts of potassium (892.93-2,663.63mg/100g), phosphorus (239.57-636.77mg/100g), calcium (279.90-341.33mg/100g), magnesium (103.43-363.27mg/100g), iron (11.06-37.13mg/100g), manganese (1.56-5.39mg/100g) and zinc (2.28-3.36mg/100g). Mineral compositions of the plants varied significantly depending on the species. B.corolliflora had the richest content of minerals.