Investigation of Nutritional Content Variations between Young and Mature Leaves of Melientha suavis Pierre

Abstract

Background and Objective: Melientha suavis Pierre is a small woody species native to limestone mountain areas of northern Vietnam and valued as a wild edible vegetable with high nutritional content. Despite its dietary importance, limited information is available on nutritional variations between leaves at different developmental stages. This study aimed to compare the nutritional composition of young and mature leaves of M. suavis Pierre to determine stage-specific differences and provide a basis for optimizing harvest timing. Materials and Methods: Leaf samples were collected at two developmental stages (young and mature) and analyzed for proximate composition, vitamin C organic acids, chlorophyll, reducing sugars, cellulose, lipids and minerals using standard analytical techniques. The data were statistically processed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS 16.0 software and differences between stages were evaluated by One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test at a significance level of α = 0.05. Results: Young leaves exhibited higher moisture content (75.68%), vitamin C (79.83 mg/100 g), total organic acids (3.45%) and potassium (407.76 mg/100 g) compared with mature leaves. In contrast, mature leaves had greater dry matter (29.31%), total chlorophyll (2.96 mg/g), reducing sugars (3.19 mg/g), cellulose (8.78%), lipids (0.65%), calcium (352.08 mg/100 g), iron (4.48 mg/100 g) and zinc (0.92 mg/100 g). Conclusion: The study highlights stage-specific nutrient accumulation patterns in M. suavis Pierre leaves. Young leaves are richer in vitamin C organic acids and potassium, while mature leaves accumulate more structural components and minerals. These findings provide a scientific basis for determining optimal harvest timing to maximize nutritional value for consumption and food processing.