Ora-pro-nobis and nutritional value
Pereskia aculeata leaves are used as a vegetable. A 2023 review describes their protein, fibre, minerals and mucilage, which can influence the viscosity and structure of food. Fresh and dry mass need to be distinguished when comparing component contents. A high protein proportion in dried material does not mean the same content in fresh, hydrated leaves. [Teixeira et al. 2023]
The review also discusses oxalates, tannins and digestive enzyme inhibitors. Heat treatment affects both nutrients and compounds that limit their utilisation. Describing food use therefore requires information about the raw material and dish preparation. Antioxidant activity of an extract in a test tube remains a separate result from an assessment of health benefits in humans. [Teixeira et al. 2023]
A Critical Appraisal of the Most Recent Investigations on Ora-Pro-Nobis (Pereskia sp.): Economical, Botanical, Phytochemical, Nutritional, and Ethnopharmacological Aspects
Teixeira V. M. C., Oliveira A. D., Backes E., Souza C. G. M. D., Castoldi R., Sá-Nakanishi A. B. D., Bracht L., Comar J. F., Corrêa R. C. G., Leimann F. V., Bracht A., Peralta R. M., A Critical Appraisal of the Most Recent Investigations on Ora-Pro-Nobis (Pereskia sp.): Economical, Botanical, Phytochemical, Nutritional, and Ethnopharmacological Aspects, Plants, 2023, 12(22):3874, doi: 10.3390/plants12223874
The review focuses mainly on Pereskia aculeata and P. grandifolia, known as ora-pro-nobis. It brings together their food uses, composition, mucilage and factors that limit their nutritional value.