The antioxidant and phylloquinone content of wildly grown greens in Crete

The traditional Mediterranean diet of Crete is renowned for its very high consumption of olive oil, vegetables, legumes, fruit, fish, whole-wheat cereals and a moderate consumption of dairy products and meat. Wild greens play an important role in the traditional diet and are eaten either fresh in salads, boiled or cooked in pies, thus increasing the daily vitamin and antioxidant intake of the population that adheres to the traditional diet. Six cultivated and 48 wildly grown greens were collected and analyzed for their carotenoid, l-ascorbic acid, phylloquinone, γ-tocopherol, α-tocopherol and total polyphenol content. In most cases, the wild greens had higher micronutrient contents than those cultivated. Certain wild greens, such as Rumex obtusifolius, Prasium majus and Lathyrus ochrus had higher concentrations of vitamin K1, vitamin C, lutein, β-carotene, γ-tocopherol and total polyphenol content than those cultivated; proving the significance of these wildly grown greens for the well being of the Cretan population.