Progress 04/17/14 to 05/15/17
Outputs Target Audience:The Extension Specialists and Educators for Plant Sciences and Food and Nutrition have used findings for the preparation Extension Bulletins for the gatherer's efforts. The wild, edible plants may be beneficial to gatherers' health in addition to the physical and mental enjoyment of the great outdoors. Enrolled students in Food and Nutrition courses have learned course content regarding antioxidants in plants. The nutritional and health benefits of plants were studied. Changes/Problems:The approach in analyzing the individual antioxidant content with HPLC standard methods was changed to use the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method. The FRAP method is easy to learn and perform. It creates a baseline for antioxidant capacity. This change became necessary due to equipment break-down and the absence of the trained personnel to perform the individual antioxidant analyses. Also, with this approach change, the analysis was perfored per plant (or part of the plant used for food), not per antioxidant. This approach has proved to every efficient and logical during the pre-preparation stage for experiment planning. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Seminars in two College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Plant Science and Family and Consumer Sciences. Workshop/training sessions for students involved in the research and assisting in different steps of the FRAP method. This session included the theory of the method, as well as the steps taken beginning with preparing the plant for analysis, the chemical anlysis set-up and finally through the spectrophotometric interpretation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Seminar presentaions in the Plant Sciences department and the Family and Consumer Sciences department. Thesis publication. Journal article in preparation. Extension Bulletin in preparation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
A screening of the Antioxidant Power of wild, edible plants was performed. Two of the wild edible plants, the chokecherry and the pine nut, were identified as pre-historic food by the Anthropology faculty. 1. Gathered the following wild, edible plants: Black Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana melanocarpa), Golden Currant (Ribes aureum), Whitestem Gooseberry (Ribes inerme), Juniper Fruit (Juniperus communis), Whitebark Pine Nuts (Pinus albicaulis), and Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis). There we no previously published data for the antioxidant content of Wyoming's wild, edible plants. 2. The antioxidant power was determined using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method for six wild, edible Wyoming plants: Chokecherries, currants, gooseberries, juniper fruit, pine nuts, and wild mint. This method is a chemical method in which the results are interpreted spectrophometrically. 3. Designed the experiment using Tukey's, with non-orthogonal differences. 4. Analyzed the experiment and computed the data. 5. The findings indicate the growing conditions affected their antioxidant power. Gathered plants were from three differrent locations: Mountain, field, and river-side. Stressed growing conditions on plants which were gathered at higher elevations resulted in greater antioxidant power than the plants grown river-side. 6. Findings, when compared to the recorded averages, were equal to or higher than the literature reported. Currants consistently maintained a higher antioxidant power than the literature reported. Chokecherry data indicated all locations performed equally for antioxidant power; there are no data to compare in literature reported. Currant data indicated the river-side location obtained the lowest antioxidant power; the mountain location obtained the highest antioxidant power; however, currants consistently obtained a significantly greater antioxidant power than the literature reported. Gooseberry data indicated the mountain location obtained the lowest antioxidant power; the field location obtained the highest antioxidant power; both were significantly different than the reported literature. Juniper fruit data indicated the field location obtained the lowest antioxidant power; however, was significantly lower than the literature reported. Juniper fruit data from the mountain location obtained the highest antioxidant power and was significantly higher than the literature reported. Pine nut data indiated the mountain location (the only location for this plant/tree) and gathered either from the tree or the ground indicate no difference in the antioxidant power and obtained a significantly greater antioxidant power than the reported literature. Wild mint data indicated the river-side location (the only location for this plant) and each gathering stage (young mint and the flowering stage) obtained no difference in antioxidant power; no significant differences existed with the literature reported. 7. Used the findings to promote gathering wild, edible plants through the tourism industry in this mountainous region.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Antioxidant Power of Wild Edible Wyoming Plants. Foist, L.
University of Wyoming, ProQuest number 12376
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs Target Audience:The Extension Specialists and Educators for Plant Sciences and Food and Nutrition have used findings for drafting Extension Bulletins regarding the nutritional and health benefits of gathering wild plants. Changes/Problems:The approach changed to use the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method. This method is easy to learn and perform and creates a baseline for antioxidant capacity. This change became necessary due to equipment break-down and the absence of the trained personnel to perform the individual antioxidant analyses. Also, with this approach change, the analysis is performed per plant (or part of the plant used for food), not per antioxidant. This approach has proved to be very efficient and logical during the pre-preparation stage. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Seminar; formal course content; and annual reporting. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through thesis draft to committee members. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Work has begun to characterize the antioxidant capacity of indigenous prehistoric foodstuff: biscuitroot, yampah, spring beauty, and bistort. 2. Analysis of indigenous prehistoric foodstuff. 3. Manuscript preparation and submission for the wild edible plants research results. 4. Begin selection, assembling, and analysis of crop plants.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
1.Antioxidant power was determined using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method for six wild edible Wyoming plants; chokecherries, currants, gooseberries, juniper fruit, pine nuts, wild mint. 2.The findings indicate the growing conditions affected their antioxidant power. Stressed growing conditions at higher elevations resulted in greater antioxidant power than the plants grown near the streams. These findings, when compared to the recorded averages, were equal or higher than reported. 3.Master's thesis in preparation.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs Target Audience:Plant Science professionals, Food and Nutrition professionals, Experiment Station personnel, the Extension Educators and the community of consumers of the state's wild edible plants. Changes/Problems:Changes from the proposal are: 1. The use of Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method for analyses. 2. The specific wild edible foods which would be considered pre-historic foodstuff. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Conduct training sessions for the FRAP method for any additional students. 2. Present preliminary findings through seminar in the department. 3. Write report which includes the findings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?1. One seminar presentation was given in the Plant Science department at the University of Wyoming. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Assemble legumes grown in Wyoming. 2. Analyze using the FRAP method. 3. Prepare manuscript to present the findings for the previous section of the project for wild edible plants data.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
1. Gathered the following Wyoming wild edible plants: Black Chokecherries ( Prunus virginiana melanocarpa), Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis), Whitebark Pine Nuts (Pinus albicaulis), Whitestem Gooseberries (Ribes inerme), Juniper Fruit (Juniperus communis), Golden Currents (Ribes aureum). 2. The antioxidant capacity was determined through the Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method. 3. The data was analyzed and compared topublished data. The location of plant 'stands' (mountain, field, and by a river) and the time of season (prior to prime ripeness and during prime ripeness) for harvest made a difference.
Publications
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Progress 04/17/14 to 09/30/14
Outputs Target Audience: Networking with personnel who will provide samples--Extension, Experiment Station personnel, and private citizens. Laboratory training of graduate students in analysis techniques of antioxidant capacity. Changes/Problems: The laboratory equipment (HPLC) for analyses of vitamin A has been down for several months, but have received approval to have it repaired. Similar equipment at another lab on campus is also in need of repair--the supervising faculty of that lab has left the university. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The networking throughout the state and region. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Analyze samples.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Training of graduate students and PI in some of the laboratory analyses for antioxidant capacity has begun. Sample collection from various target audiences has started.
Publications
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