It is a good source of vitamin K.[citation needed] and contains high level of provitamin A carotenoids, especially in freshly picked leaves, as well as high levels of vitamins B and C, protein and minerals. The more the leaves mature, the higher the nutrient content of the leaves.[5]
However, a study has suggested that excessive consumption of uncooked and juiced katuk leaves (due to its popularity for body weight control in Taiwan in the mid 1990s) can cause lung damage, due to its high concentrations of the alkaloidpapaverine.[6]
In Indonesia, the flowers, leaves, and small purplish fruits of Breynia androgyna has been consumed and used traditionally since ancient times by the Javanese and Sundanese ethnic groups as the alternative medicine in a form of Jamu (traditional concoction native to Java island, originally formulated by the Javanese) to improve the circulation of blocked breast milk for breastfeeding mothers.[8] Interestingly, according to modern research findings on the efficacy of this herb, indicates that the extract of the Breynia androgyna leaf increases the expression of prolactin and oxytocin genes 15 to 25 times in breastfeeding mice.[9]
In Vietnam, the shoot tips have been sold in cuisine and used similarly like the asparagus; the locals usually cook it with crab meat, minced pork or dried shrimp to make a soup.
Various studies have confirmed that Breynia androgyna has notable phytochemical constituents and various pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity activities.[10]
Although the exact cause is unknown, consumption of uncooked Breynia androgyna leaves has been reported as being associated with bronchiolitis obliterans, leading to lung failure.[11][12][13]
^The basionym of S. androgynus (Clutia androgyna) was originally described and published in Mantissa Plantarum 1: 128. 1767. "Name – Clutia androgyna L."Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
^ abFletcher, Rob. "Sauropus androgynus (sweet leaf bush)". The Australian New Crops Newsletter. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Sauropus has a high level of provita-min A carotenoids, especially in freshly picked leaves, as well as high levels of vitamins B and C, protein and minerals. Nutrient content of the leaves is usually higher in more mature leaves.
^Kao CH; Ho YJ; Wu CL; ChangLai SP (1999). "Using 99mTc-DTPA Radioaerosol Inhalation Lung Scintigraphies to Detect the Lung Injury Induced by Consuming Sauropus androgynus Vegetable and Comparison with Conventional Pulmonary Function Tests". Respiration. 66 (1). Karger AG: 46–51. doi:10.1159/000029336. PMID9973690. S2CID38378580.
^Padmavathi, P.; Rao, M. Prabhakara (April 1990). "Nutritive value ofSauropus androgynus leaves". Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 40 (2): 107–113. doi:10.1007/BF02193767. PMID2385571. S2CID21391484.
^Martha Tilaar, Dr.; Bernard T. Widjaja, MM, Prof. Dr. Ir. (2015). The Tale of Jamu: The Green Gold of Indonesia. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama. p. 162. ISBN9786020322803.
^National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN978-0-309-48834-1. PMID30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.