Portulaca oleracea, A VERSATILE PLANT RESOURCE WAITING TO BE USED IN THE TROPICS

Abstract

Portulaca oleracea is a cosmopolitan plant. It has antioxidant and antinflammatory properties with applications in cronic human diseases, such as diabetes and arterial hypertension. It is also used as food and nutraceutic properties have been attributed to it, with high omega-3 content. This indicates that P. oleracea represents a local resource for human diet or for the enrichening of livestock products with omega-3. In the Tropics, particularly in Campeche, México, it is found in family backyards, so their properties could be divulged to contribute to its consumption or, in this case, to explore the possibility of enriching hen eggs from backyard systems with omega-3 essential oils.