ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF INULIN-CONTAINING AND MEDICINAL CROPS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31073/foodresources2025-25-19Keywords:
inulin-containing crops, medicinal plants, carbon sequestration, phytoremediation, biodiversity, functional nutrition, carbon footprint, honey productivity, water use efficiencyAbstract
Subject. Ecological impact of inulin-containing plants (Jerusalem artichoke, yacon, chicory, elecampane, burdock) and medicinal crops (mint, lemon balm, bitter melon, basil, fruit tree leaves, duckweed, chlorella) in the context of functional food production. Purpose. To summarize data on ecological characteristics of studied crops based on analysis of literature sources, determine their potential in carbon sequestration, phytoremediation of soils, biodiversity support, and reduction of carbon footprint in functional food production. Methods. Systematic analysis of scientific publications in Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar databases for 2000–2024. Results. Inulin-containing crops form leaf apparatus with LAI 3.2–7.8 m²/m², providing O₂ release of 280–480 kg/ha per day. Jerusalem artichoke releases up to 70–85 t O₂/ha per season. Bioaccumulation coefficients for heavy metals: cadmium 1.4–3.4, lead 1.2–2.6, copper 1.1–3.5, reducing soil contamination by 25–45% over 3–5 years. Medicinal crops provide honey productivity of 80-350 kg/ha, increasing wild bee diversity by 40-65%. Bitter melon and Jerusalem artichoke have WUE of 4.2-6.0 kg/m³ (+35–50% compared to traditional crops). Chlorella and duckweed reduce biogenic elements in wastewater by 55–82%. Fruit tree leaves contain 5.8–12.5% polyphenols with carbon footprint of 0.06–0.12 kg CO₂-eq./kg. Application scope of results. Development of ecologically oriented technologies for functional food production, crop rotation planning on contaminated lands, creation of agroecosystems with enhanced ecosystem services, reduction of carbon footprint in food production.
Downloads
References
Granato D., Barba F. J., Kovacevic D. B. et al. (2020). Functional Foods: Product Development, Technological Trends, Efficacy Testing, and Safety. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology. Vol. 11. P. 93–118.
Willett W., Rockstrom J., Loken B. et al. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Lancet. Vol. 393(10170). P. 447–492.
Poore J., Nemecek T. (2018). Reducing food environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science. 2018. Vol. 360(6392). P. 987–992.
Shoaib M., Shehzad A., Omar M. et al. (2016). Inulin: Properties, health benefits and food applications. Carbohydrate Polymers. Vol. 147. P. 444–454.
Kays S. J., Nottingham S. F. (2008). Biology and Chemistry of Jerusalem Artichoke: Helianthus tuberosus L. CRC Press, 496 p.
Dhama K., Latheef S. K., Dadar M. et al. (2019). Biomarkers in Stress Related Diseases: Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Values. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. Vol. 6. Art. 91.
Becker E. W. (2007). Micro-algae as a source of protein. Biotechnology Advances. Vol. 25 (2). P. 207–210.
Monti A., Amaducci M. T., Venturi G. (2005). Growth response, leaf gas exchange and fructans accumulation of Jerusalem artichoke as affected by different water regimes. European Journal of Agronomy. Vol. 23(2). P. 136–145.
Long S. P., Bernacchi C. J. (2003). Gas exchange measurements, what can they tell us about the underlying limitations to photosynthesis. Journal of Experimental Botany. Vol. 54 (392). P. 2393–2401.
Villacrés E., Cueva X., Rivera M. et al. (2022). Evaluation of the nutritional and nutraceutical potential of yacon – a review. Food Reviews International. Vol. 38 (5). P. 1126–1151.
Nishimura M., Ohkawara T., Sato Y. et al. (2008). Effects of leaf area index on photosynthesis and crop growth of chicory. Plant Production Science. Vol. 11 (3). P. 358–365.
Seiler G. J. (1988). Forage and tuber yields of Jerusalem artichoke. Agronomy Journal. Vol. 80 (6). P. 928-932.
Kołton A., Kęsy J., Wierzbowska J. (2014). Impact of soil contamination with cadmium on Jerusalem artichoke biomass and mineral composition. Journal of Elementology. Vol. 19 (4). P. 1045–1054.
Liu W. X., Liu J. W., Wu M.Z. et al. (2009). Accumulation and translocation of toxic heavy metals in winter wheat growing in agricultural soil. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. Vol. 82(3). P. 343–347.
Angelova V., Ivanova R., Delibaltova V., Ivanov K. (2004). Bio-accumulation of heavy metals in fibre crops. Industrial Crops and Products. Vol. 19 (3). P. 197–205.
Zheljazkov V. D., Craker L. E., Xing B. (2006). Effects of Cd, Pb, and Cu on growth in dill, peppermint, and basil. Environmental and Experimental Botany. Vol. 58 (1-3). P. 9-16.
Santana-Galvez J., Cisneros-Zevallos L., Jacobo-Velazquez D .A. (2017). Chlorogenic Acid: Recent Advances on Its Dual Role as a Food Additive and a Nutraceutical. Molecules. Vol. 22(3). Art. 358.
Crane E. (1999). The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting. Routledge, 720 p.
Maurizio A., Grafl I. (1969). Das Trachtpflanzenbuch: Nektar und Pollen – die wichtigsten Nahrungsquellen der Honigbiene. Ehrenwirth Verlag, 1969. 334 p.
Behera T. K., Behera S., Bharathi L. K. et al. (2010). Bitter Gourd: Botany, Horticulture, Breeding. Horticultural Reviews. Vol. 37. P. 101–141.
Garibaldi L. A., Steffan-Dewenter I., Winfree R. et al. (2013). Wild pollinators enhance fruit set of crops. Science. 2013. Vol. 339(6127). P. 1608–1611.
Klein A. M., Vaissiere B. E., Cane J. H. et al. (2007). Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Vol. 274 (1608). P. 303–313.
Seiler G. J. (1988). Forage and tuber yields of Jerusalem artichoke. Agronomy Journal. Vol. 80(6). P. 928–932.
Olszewska M., Michel P. (2009). Antioxidant activity of Sorbus species in relation to polyphenolic composition. Natural Product Research. Vol. 23 (16). P. 1507–1521.
Pieper J. R., Barrett D. M. (2009). Effects of production systems on quality of processing tomatoes. Journal of Food Agriculture. Vol. 89(2). P. 177–194.
Notarnicola B., Sala S., Anton A. et al. (2017). Life cycle assessment in supporting sustainable agri-food systems. Journal of Cleaner Production. Vol. 140. P. 399–409.
Katerji N., Mastrorilli M., Rana G. (2008). Water use efficiency of crops cultivated in the Mediterranean region: Review and analysis. European Journal of Agronomy. Vol. 28(4). P. 493–507.
Deblonde P. M. K., Ledent J. F. (2001). Effects of moderate drought conditions on potato cultivars. European Journal of Agronomy. Vol. 14(1). P. 31–41.
Allen R. G., Pereira L. S., Raes D., Smith M. (1988). Crop evapotranspiration: Guidelines for computing crop water requirements. FAO Irrigation Paper 56. Rome, 300 p.
Mata T. M., Martins A. A., Caetano N. S. (2010). Microalgae for biodiesel production and other applications: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Vol. 14(1). P. 217–232.
Appenroth K. J., Sree K. S., Bog M. et al. (2017). Nutritional value of duckweeds as human food. Food Chemistry. Vol. 217. P. 266–273.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Licensing and Copyright
The collection provides immediate open access, ensuring that the content is freely available to the global community, facilitating a broader exchange of knowledge in accordance with the principles of open science.
By submitting an article to the editors of the collection, authors confirm that the manuscript has not been submitted to other publications and grant the journal the right of first publication in accordance with the terms of the Copyright Transfer Agreement.
Copyright. Authors retain full copyright to their articles without restriction and simultaneously grant the journal a non-exclusive license for publication, distribution, and indexing.
Licensing. The collection publishes articles under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.uk
This license permits:
- copying and distributing the material in any medium or format;
- use of the material for educational and research purposes.
- Subject to the following conditions:
- attribution of the author, source, and license link;
- noncommercial use;
- no distribution of modified material (no derivatives).
First Publication Rights. Authors grant the collection “Food Resources” first publication rights, these allowing the collection to distribute the scientific material with attribution of authorship and the original publication in the collection.
Self-Archiving. Authors may upload any version of their articles (preprint, postprint, or published version) to institutional, disciplinary, or personal repositories without embargo, provided they indicate that the article was published in the collection "Food Resources" and include the CC BY-NC-ND license.
ISSN 
ISSN 
