The objective of this study is to understand the diversity of edible wild species sold on the markets of Bangui. To do this, ethnobotanical surveys on the marketing of these resources were carried out from September to December 2023 with 150 sellers installed in six popular markets in Bangui. In total, 86 plant species have been recorded distributed in 69 genera and 41 different families. The analysis of the results showed that the Leguminosae family is the richest (8 species); fruits (68.43%) and leaves (22.12%) are the most sold plant organs; edible fruits (45.16%) remain the most predominant category of uses; these species are mainly trees (55.83%) and are more present in forest ecosystems (52.33%). It also appears that these wild food plants were not only consumed for nutritional needs but also for the traditional treatment of 45 pathologies. These results demonstrate that there is still a high diversity of spontaneous food species in the Central African Republic. Given the dual nutritional and therapeutic interest of these resources, and also in the face of socio-economic issues and the change in food culture in urban areas, the promotion of this precious heritage is necessary and essential. Such an approach would be an opportunity both economically and nutritionally for local populations, particularly women. Also, it would be beneficial to deepen research on the phytochemistry of some spontaneous food plants with medicinal properties in order to achieve the manufacture of improved traditional medicines accessible to all.

Several nations have integrated food security for a long time, thus undertaking a fight against malnutrition in all its forms. This work aimed to inventory the indigenous leafy vegetables of the prefecture of Lobaye in the Central African Republic. To do this, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted among 144 people. The survey was carried out during the period from May to October 2022. In total, sixty-three (63) species were identified, grouped into forty-six (46) genera and belonging to thirty-one (31) botanical families. The sub-prefecture of Pissa totals 56 species, that of Boda 54 and 48 for that of M’baïki. The most represented families are Tiliaceae (6 species) and Moraceae (5 species). The analysis of ethnobotanical data revealed that the leaf is the most used organ (95.24%); 66.67% of leafy vegetables are consumed as complementary nutritional sources while 33.33% are functional foods. Cooking is the most used method of preparation (98.41%). The biological forms that produce more leaves consumed are herbs (38.09%). The habitat of these species is in particular the forest, fallow land and fields. The well-known species (50 to 100%) are fourteen (14) in number or 22.22% of the total specimens. In addition, the results showed that fourteen (14) LFI species are subject to significant trade in local markets. This study showed that there is still a high diversity of LFI species in the prefecture of Lobaye in the Central African Republic.