Edibility of Trachyandra ciliate (L.F.) Kunth- an underutilized vegetable from South African Western Cape Coast: A review

Abstract

The aim of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) is to end hunger, improve food security and nutrition and promote sustainable crop production by  2050. However, climate change, increasing soil salinization and the inadequate availability of fresh water have negatively affected crop production around  the world including South Africa, making it difficult to meet the required target. This necessitates the use of wild edible plants that are adapted to  adverse conditions such as drought and salinity in order to mitigate this problem. The genus Trachyandra (Asphodelaceae) consist of three edible  species (T. ciliata, T. divaricata and T. falcata) which are native to the dry saline environments of the western Cape coastal sand dunes. The genus is less  studied with no record of cultivated species, although the existing literature states that T. ciliata, (wild cabbage) was originally used as a food source by  the indigenous Khoi-san people who lived on the South African Cape coast. Colonization and removal of indigenous people from cultural lands led to  erosion and detachment from the knowledge of the land and its useful plants. The species is used in selected restaurants where the inflorescence is  steamed and eaten as a vegetable or added into a stew. This review explores the importance of Asphodelaceae family, T. ciliata as a vegetable crop and  its potential as a pharmaceutical candidate. Furthermore, this review examines potential technological advances such as hydroponics that could be used  for sustainable crop production of T. ciliata. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was utilized in the  selection of articles in this review. The existing literature provided useful information on the potential of T. ciliata as a vegetable crop and the importance  of using halophytes to achieve food security. This appraisal is expected to serve as a template for researchers, food enthusiasts, potential farmers and  policy makers who may be keen in exploring further nutritional composition and medicinal potential of this plant.