The pursuit of an improved quality of life is a major trend in the food market. This is driving the reformulation of the industry’s product portfolio, with the aim of providing nourishment while also contributing to beneficial health metabolic processes. In this context, the use of local biodiversity and the recovery of the traditional knowledge associated with the consumption of vegetables that grow spontaneously in nature emerge as more sustainable and nutritionally adequate concepts. The Amazon region is known for its abundant biodiversity, housing numerous unconventional food plants whose nutritional and biological properties remain unknown due to a lack of research. Among the different species are Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Acmella oleracea, Talinum triangulare, Pereskia bleo, Bidens bipinnata, and Costus spiralis. These species contain bioactive compounds such as apigenin, syringic acid, spilanthol, and lutein, which provide various health benefits. There are few reports on the biological effects, nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, and market prospects for these species. Therefore, this review provides an overview of their nutritional contribution, bioactive compounds, health benefits, and current market, as well as the use of new technologies that can contribute to the development of functional products/ingredients derived from them.

This study evaluated the bioactive and nutritional properties of six Amazonian unconventional food plants: Piper peltatum , Mansoa alliacea , Leuenbergeria bleo , Bidens bipinnata , Costus spiralis , and Urera caracasana . The phenolic compounds were identified and quantified using LC–ESI–MS/MS, whereas carotenoids were analyzed by HPLC–DAD. C. spiralis and B. bipinnata exhibited the highest total phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities, as determined by ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC assays. Chlorogenic acid was the predominant phenolic compound (in B. bipinnata ), followed by rutin (in C. spiralis ). C. spiralis showed weak cytostatic effects on HaCaT cells, whereas B. bipinnata partially stimulated keratinocyte migration. All species presented high levels of (all-E)-lutein (2.72–5.65 mg·100 g⁻ ¹ DW) and (all-E)-β-carotene (1.67–3.28 mg·100 g⁻ ¹ DW), while U. caracasana exhibited the highest ascorbic acid content (101.43 mg·100 g⁻ ¹ FW). Additionally, all plants were rich in dietary fiber, with M. alliacea showing the highest content (18.3% FW). Regarding mineral composition, L. bleo presented the highest concentrations of calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, and sodium. Overall, the results demonstrate that these Amazonian species are rich sources of bioactive compounds and essential nutrients, highlighting their potential application as functional food ingredients and contributors to dietary nutrient supplementation.