Atriplex hortensis (Mountain spinach, Red Orache) 43 Short description and history of use Atriplex hortensis is a plant of Asian origins, introduced to Europe even before the times of the Greek empire. In fact, the scientific, Latinized name of Atriplex is derived from the ancient Greek one – Atreplaxis. This almost forgotten plant of Europe deserves more attention as an ornamental for “edible landscaping” projects or simply as an edible species, a good alternative to the common spinach (Spinacia oleracea). As an ornamental, it is very attractive thanks to its broad, intense red or red-purple coloured leaves. In some varieties, the foliage has a green or yellow tone. As a food, it lends itself to many culinary applications: it can be consumed raw, mixed in salads or cooked in soups and stews, or used as a side dish or as a seasoning in pasta. Although it can be still found in home gardens in France, Greece, Italy and Romania, it is not often raised as a commercial crop. From a nutritional standpoint, the orache represents a good choice: it contains about 17% protein, Calcium, Potassium, Iron and vitamins. The seeds of the plant, which produce a blue dye, could be potentially interesting as a natural source of colorant. The seeds are also known to be a remedy for Vitamin A deficiency. As a medicinal plant, it has a very long tradition, going as far back as the Greeks and the Romans, who employed it in the treatment of jaundice, colds and digestive problems. It is also said to have medicinal applications for fatigue, gout and lung diseases. It was also traditionally used as a diuretic and purgative. Orache has also been studied as a source of biomass. The proposed plan is to extract the leaf protein, phytochemical compounds and fibre Pagina 52
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