Nutritional profiling and comparative analysis of four indigenous leafy vegetables from Bangladesh: Insights into their dietary and health potential

The nutrient composition of many wild plants remains largely unexplored, despite their historical inclusion in diets, often without awareness of their health benefits. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the proximate composition, mineral content, and amino acid profiles of four locally consumed leafy vegetables in Bangladesh: Corchorus olitorius L., Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, Piper longum L., and Typhonium trilobatum L. The analysis revealed that these vegetables possess significant amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and energy, with C. esculenta showing notably higher fat content (7.92 mg/g). The mineral analysis indicated that all four vegetables are rich in sodium, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and zinc. Notable amount of essential amino acids like lysine (9.93 mg/g), leucine (9.93 mg/g), glycine (14.79 mg/g) and phenylalanine (9.56 mg/g) were found higher in amount in the studied plants, aligning with the WHO-recommended daily dietary requirements (Technical Report Series 935), and demonstrating their potential as sustainable nutritional resources to address global protein deficiencies. All plants also showed considerable amounts of fiber (range from 1.80% - 3.56%), carbohydrates (45.84 - 55.48%), protein (17.57 - 20.43%), and energy (335.48 - 358.94 Kcal/100g), enhancing their utility as functional food ingredients. The study also identified strong correlations between investigated parameters using the Pearson correlation, underscoring the nutritional potential of these vegetables. These findings will enrich the nutritional database of Bangladesh and demonstrate these wild plants' potential as significant sources of macro- and micronutrients, which could encourage their consumption and cultivation.