On the physicochemical characteristics and applications of an “undesirable” Pyrenean thorny cushion dwarf: Echinospartum horridum (Vahl) Roth

Martín Ramos, Pablo (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Martín Gil, Jesús ; Gómez García, David ; Cuchí Oterino, José Antonio (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Small evergreen shrubs of the family Fabaceae represent a large proportion of current Mediterranean mountain vegetation. Their low pastoral value and tendency for encroachment makes these plants undesirable. In this paper, the thermal and chemical characteristics of Echinospartum horridum, a thorny cushion-shaped dwarf shrub native to the French Central Massif and the Pyrenees (particularly dominant in the shrublands of the Pyrenees), have been analyzed with a view to its valorization. Although the higher and lower heating values of the biomass from E. horridum met the ISO 17225-2:2014 requirements for its use in pellets, the ash content was slightly above the upper limit, so it would not comply with the normative for its acceptable use as a fuel. Nevertheless, the presence of high added-value flavonoids and lignans in its extracts, which are receiving increasing recent interest as efficient anti-tumor drugs and antivirals, may open the door to the valorization of this shrub for pharmacological applications.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/plants9091180

Año: 2020

Publicado en: Plants 9, 9 (2020), 1180 [13 pp.]
ISSN: 2223-7747

Factor impacto JCR: 3.935 (2020)

Categ. JCR: PLANT SCIENCES rank: 47 / 235 = 0.2 (2020) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.892 - Ecology (Q1) - Plant Science (Q1) - Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Area Ingeniería Agroforestal (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)