Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Wild Edible Asparagus in the Iğdır Plain

Worldwide, there is a growing interest in the consumption of wild edible plants that possess high nutritional value and health-promoting bioactive compounds. Asparagus stands out among these plants due to its cultivated varieties as well as its wild forms. In Türkiye, asparagus consumption has increased more than tenfold over the past 5 years, and it is estimated that nearly half of the consumed asparagus comes from wild species obtained from local markets. Wild asparagus from the Iğdır Plain is in high demand locally and exported to nearby regions. This study was conducted to determine the biochemical composition and evaluate the antioxidant capacities of wild edible asparagus naturally distributed in the Iğdır Plain. A total of 35 wild asparagus spear samples were collected from different regions and analyzed for specific phenolic acids, flavonols, free amino acids, ascorbic acid, total saponin content, and antioxidant activities using DPPH and ABTS methods. According to the results, the wild asparagus samples collected from the Iğdır Plain exhibited higher levels of total phenolic acids, flavonols, amino acids, ascorbic acid, and saponins compared to the commercial cultivated variety. However, when evaluated in terms of antioxidant capacity, the wild samples showed lower activity than the commercial variety in both DPPH and ABTS assays. Statistical analyses revealed a significant level of variation among the wild asparagus genotypes in the region. Notably, samples collected from Iğdır city center, as well as regions A1, A15, A22, A24, and A27, were found to be particularly rich in nutritional and health-related compounds. This study presents the first scientific data on the biochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of wild edible asparagus naturally growing in the Iğdır region. Furthermore, it is suggested that collecting seeds from promising regions and cultivating these genotypes could help prevent the extinction of these valuable wild species due to overharvesting.