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The protection of plant food resources contributes to safeguarding their nutritional value, the culinary heritage as well as the sustainability of the traditional food that uses them. To contribute to the knowledge of wild edible plants (WEPs) used in traditional diet among the population of 7 communes in Khenifra province in a mountainous region of Morocco, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted on 206 local adult respondents, of both sexes, in rural (70%) and urban (30%) areas using a questionnaire and focus groups. Information on sociodemography, knowledge of WEPs and their current and past indigenous food and medicinal uses, culinary knowledge, recipes for their preparation as well as their toxic effects were collected. The results show a great food variety of more than 90 WEPs belonging to 40 families and that the local population still often uses different WEPs on a daily basis as food, in therapy or other uses in the study area. Over 50 traditional recipes were recorded, consumed presently and in the past with recipes consumed during times of food shortage. The study also reports that the local population has ethnobotanical information and knowledge of traditional cooking techniques allowing the safe use of WEPs. Dietary diversity linked to knowledge of biodiversity, traditions and culinary culture to use WEPs is observed in the study population. However, this knowledge is in decline, especially among younger generations, which draws attention to the importance of documenting and safeguarding this wealth.

Background Food insecurity (FI) has received much attention in the last decades due to its strong association with obesity. Indeed, it has begun to be a serious concern, especially in developing countries undergoing a nutritional transition. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between FI, food intake and the risk of obesity in an agricultural community of women from El Jadida Province in Morocco. Materials and methods The survey included a sample of 214 women. Weight and height were measured, and the body mass index was calculated. FI was measured using a household FI access scale. Food intake was evaluated using two 24-hour dietary recalls. Variance tests and Chi-square tests are applied for means ± standard deviations comparisons and proportions with percentages of continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Results The female population surveyed had an average age of 44 ± 13 years, 42% were obese, 36% were overweight, and 86% were centrally obese (CO). FI was observed in 78% of the sample, and it is found to be associated with both overweight, general obesity (GO) and CO (P ≤ 0.001). The risk of GO was extremely high in women with mild FI (unadjusted OR = 31.33, 95% CI: 7.01, 140.06). This association remained high after adjustment for socio-demographic variables (adjusted OR = 24.98, 95% CI: 5.36, 116.35). Compared with food secure women, the risk of CO was significantly higher in women with moderate FI (unadjusted OR = 16.44, 95% CI: 3.56, 75.91). This association remained significant after adjustment for socio-demographic variables (OR adjusted = 36.51, 95% CI: 4.81, 276.7). FI was associated with high daily energy (P Conclusion There is a high prevalence of FI associated with overweight, GO and CO and with high energy intake among the rural female population. Hence, intervention programs must consider food security in the fight against obesity and its associated problems, by ensuring women's access to a variety of high quality foods and the achievement of a balanced diet at the local and national levels.

Background. In Morocco, fava beans are widely used as a main meal or as an ingredient in various traditional recipes, in the form of fresh ripe seeds or dry seeds. In the past, the tender skin of bean pods was also used in certain specific dishes, thus diversifying the diet. However, the peels of the tender bean pods are currently less or not used and considered waste. In Moroccan, fava bean pods peels, traditionally used in food in the past, are today considered as waste. The valorization of fresh fava bean pods could revitalize the use of the specific dishes and diversify the diet. For this reason, the research aimed to assess the nutritional values and biological compounds of the whole fresh fava bean pods (Vicia faba L.). Objective. Evaluate the content of nutrients, total phenolic, flavonoids and tannin contents and antioxidant activity in different extracts of the tender pods of the fava bean (Vicia faba L.). Material and methods. The proximate composition and minerals were determined using AOAC methods. The total phenolic compounds by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, the total flavonoids were analyzed using aluminum chloride colorimetric method, the tannins by method of vanillin in an acidic medium and the antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH method. Results. The results show that the fresh fava bean pods have a moisture content of 87.31 ± 0.25%, ash 4.67 ± 1.03, and protein 29.11 ± 3.20 g/100 g. The legume samples also contain potassium (1946.8±4.61), phosphorus (483.8 ± 3.14), and calcium (399.6 ±2.25) mg/100 g of dry matter representing at last 40-50% of the RDI. The content of the different extracts of (Vicia faba L) varied from 49.5 to 594.4 mg GAE/ g for the total phenols, from 0.7 mg to 3.4 mg QE/g for flavonoids, and from 4.9 mg to 73.91 mg TAE/g dry weight for tannins. The evaluation of the antioxidant activity in the various extracts revealed a better activity in the methanolic extract (IC50=491.2 μg/mL) compared to others extracts: the MeOH/water extract (IC50=606.61 μg/mL), DCM/ MeOH extract (IC50 = 642.67 μg/mL) and DCM extract below of 50%. Conclusions. This study shows that fava bean pods, traditionally used in food, are rich in macro and micronutrients and bioactive substances, which demonstrates their potential contribution to human food and nutritional security.