A phylogenetic approach to bridge the food-medicine continuum at the continental scale
Mateo-Martín, Jimena (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
Teixidor-Toneu, Irene (Mediterranean Institute of marine and terrestrial Biodiversity and Ecology)
Macía, Manuel J. (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
Pardo-de-Santayana, Manuel (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
Reyes-García, Victoria (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social i Cultural)
Ronquillo, Cristina (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Espanya))
Molina-Venegas, Rafael (Estación Biológica de Doñana)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals

Date:	2026
Abstract:	The relationship between food and medicinal plants is longstanding and complex, with many species serving both roles. This study explores the food-medicine continuum at a continental scale, analysing phylogenetic patterns of plants used for food, medicine and condiments across three ecologically and culturally distinct Eurasian regions: Iberian Peninsula, Caucasus and West Himalaya. We applied an adapted phylogenetic hot node analysis to identify plant lineages significantly rich in useful species across each use category and region, thereby revealing cross-cultural patterns of plant use and enlarging the potential of the method beyond bioprospecting. We found overlap between lineages used for food and medicine, and between condiments and medicine, both across and within regions. Condiments, often classified as food, had a higher overlap with medicinal plants, reinforcing the idea that they play a critical role in bridging nutrition and health. Our results indicate that the food-medicine continuum transcends cultural boundaries and is grounded in shared history. Our study highlights the value of integrating phylogenetic and ethnobotanical approaches to understand multifunctional plant lineages, an approach that can support food security and healthcare amid global environmental and health challenges.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2022-138776NA-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2022-140985NB-C21 Agencia Estatal de Investigación CEX2019-000940-M
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Cross-cultural patterns ; Hot node analysis ; Medicinal uses ; Nutritional uses ; Quantitative ethnobotany
Published in:	Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological sciences, Vol. 293, Num. 2063 (January 2026) , art. 20252337, ISSN 1471-2954

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.2337
PMID: 41558782

10 p, 1.8 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
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