Nutritional and functional innovations of Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.: From aroma to health-promoting bioactive

Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb., also known as pandan, is not only a sensory herb used in Southeast Asian cooking, but there has also been increasing scientific evidence supporting its nutritional and functional properties. This review summarises current information on P. amaryllifolius in terms of nutrition, phytochemicals, aroma metabolism, bioaccessibility, gut microbial metabolism, nutrigenomics, and as a functional food. With its high levels of dietary fibre, low energy density, and phytoconstituents, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, carotenoids, tocopherols, chlorophyll derivatives, and the signature volatile compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, pandan leaves can be considered a functional food. There are indications that pandan volatiles may play a role in controlling appetite and triggering metabolic pathways, and its polyphenols are metabolised by gut microflora into bioactive antioxidant products. Pandan extracts have also shown some modest modulatory impact on glucose and lipid metabolism in the blood (potentially via the AMPK, Nrf2 and PPAR pathways), with the recent progress in green technology facilitating its incorporation into functional food products. This review identifies pandan as a multifaceted dietary factor and highlights the promise and challenge of substantiation in appropriate human intervention and metabolomics studies. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.