Wild Asparagus Shoots Constitute a Healthy Source of Bioactive Compounds

Wild shoots are consumed worldwide, although most species remain understudied. In this work, a total of four wild species were collected from different locations and analyzed compared with farmed . Shoots were screened for (i) phenolic compounds by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS; (ii) total phenolic acids and total flavonoid content by the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride methods; (iii) vitamin C by HPLC-DAD; (iv) antioxidant activity by the DPPH and ABTS methods; and (v) the in vitro antiproliferative activities against HT-29 colorectal cancer cells by the MTT assay. Phenolics ranged from 107.5 ( ) to 605.4 mg/100 g dry weight (dw) ( ). Vitamin C ranged from 15.8 ( ) to 22.7 mg/100 g fresh weight (fw) ( ). The antioxidant activity was similar in all species, standing out in with 5.94 (DPPH) and 4.64 (ABTS) mmol TE/100 g dw. Among phenolics, rutin reached the highest values (574 mg/100 g dw in ), followed by quercetin, nicotiflorin, asterin, and narcissin. The MTT assay revealed the inhibitory effects of ethanol extracts against HT-29 cancer cells, highlighting the cell growth inhibition exercised by (300 µg/mL after 72 h exposure to cells). This work improves knowledge on the phytochemicals and bioactivities of the shoots of wild species and confirms their suitability for use as functional foods.