ESTUDIO ETNOBOTÁNICO DEL MORTIÑO (Vaccinium floribundum) COMO ALIMENTO ANCESTRAL Y POTENCIAL ALIMENTO FUNCIONAL

Abstract

Mortiño is a native wild plant from Ecuador and Colombia. With an edible and tasty berry, mortiño has been consumed since prehispanic ages with a ceremonial significance that is reflected nowadays in the celebration of Día de los difuntos (All Souls’ day). The relevant properties are the high content of polyphenols due to the presence of sugars, fibers, lipids,minerals, vitamins proanthocyanidins, anthocyanidins and flavonoids that permits their use as food colorants. Compounds as flavonoids, tannins and poli-polyphenic acids are recognized as antioxidants and promote the retinal and general micro circulation, platelet antiaggregation as well as the reduction of chronic venous insufficiency, potentially suggesting mortiño as a nutritional supplement.