The Milpa as A Supplier of Bioactive Compounds: A Review

ABSTRACT

Milpa is a traditional polyculture production system mainly composed of corn, beans and pumpkin, together with other edible plants. It represents an important food and nutrients supply, but also bioactive compounds source, such as phenols, anthocyanins, phytosterols, phytates, resistant starch, peptides, among others compounds that confer multiple health benefits. Therefore, the aim of this work was to gather the scientific evidence on the health effects of the bioactive compounds found in the plants that belong to the milpa. Although there are few studies that report the interaction between different biomolecules and crops in combination, as in meant to be at regular eating; evidence, here summarized, suggests that consumption of milpa vegetables has an active effect of biomolecules from these crops was found active, mainly on chronic non-communicable diseases. Thus, the main objective of this study was to summarize the scientific evidence on bioactive compounds found in the plants grown as part of the milpa and their health-related benefits.

KEYWORDS:

• Corn
• beans
• chili
• pumpkin
• quelites
• health and nutrition
• milpa

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Author contributions

Conceptualization and coordination, X.M.S.C.; Writing – Original Draft Preparation, O.G.M.F. X.M.S.C., Z.E.O.V., -Search, Reading and Compilation of Information. X.M.S.C., O.G.M.F., H.O.D.L., R.G.M., U.R.R., R.G.M, I.CQ., C.A.I.N., G,L.R. All authors revised and approved the submitted version.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the CONACYT [Cátedras CONACYT, Proyect 530. Traditional foods,I.C.-Q. received a postdoctoral scholarship from C].