A novel wrinkled-leaf sesame mutant as a potential edible leafy vegetable rich in nutrients

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an ancient and globally important oil crop in the tropic and subtropic areas. Apart from being a good source of high-quality oil, sesame also represents a new source of edible leafy vegetables. However, data regarding the nutritional composition of the sesame leaves, especially their phytonutrient composition, are scarce. Previously we have developed a sesame mutant JQA with curly, wide, and thick leaves that are potentially used as a vegetable. The objective of this work was to gauge the nutrient contents in leaves of the JQA mutant by colorimetry methods. The sesame mutant JQA and its wild-type counterpart JQB were grown in the field, and leaf samples were collected at the flowering stage. Results showed that the sesame wrinkled leaves of JQA are a rich source of crude oil (5.33-6.38%), crude protein (3.14%), amino acids (> 18.6 mg/g), crude fiber (> 0.36%), cellulose or hemicellulose (> 21.4 mg/g), sugars (> 12.5 mg/g), vitamins, and flavones (> 63.2 mg/g). The wrinkled sesame leaves were high in unsaturated acid (32.0 mg/g), calcium (18.5 mg/g), potassium (16.1 mg/g), as well as vitamin B₆ (24.5 mg/g), B₂ (14.4 mg/g), C (1.7 mg/g) and D (1.3 mg/g) compared to other common green leafy vegetables. The fresh leaves had a mean total flavone content of 65.7 mg/g and can be consumed as fresh vegetables or preserved in a dry state. Collectively, the nutritional composition of the wrinkled leaf mutant JQA was ideal and thus had high RDIs (recommended daily intakes), suggesting that the wrinkled leaves are a rich source of nutrients and therefore suitable to be consumed as a new edible green vegetable.