Sauropus androgynus, also known as katuk, star gooseberry, or sweet leaf, is a shrub grown in some tropical regions as a leaf vegetable. In Chinese it is called mani cai ; in Japan it is called amameshiba ; in Malay it is called cekur manis, sayur manis, asin-asin or cangkok manis ; in Thai it is called pak waan ; in Indonesia, it is called katuk; in Vietnamese, it is called rau ngót; in the Philippines, it is called Chinese Malunggay and in Kerala, India it is called madhura cheera. Its multiple upright stems can reach 2.5 meters high and bear dark green oval leaves 5–6 cm long. It is one of the most popular leafy vegetables in South Asia and Southeast Asia and is notable for high yields and palatability. The shoot tips have been sold as tropical asparagus. In Vietnam, the locals cook it with crab meat, minced pork or dried shrimp to make soup. In Malaysia, it is commonly stir-fried with egg or dried anchovies. The flowers and small purplish fruits of the plant have also be eaten In Indonesia, the leaves of the plant are used to make infusion, believed to improve the flow of breast milk for breastfeeding mothers. It is a good source of vitamin K. However, a study has suggested that excessive consumption of juiced Katuk leaves can cause lung damage, due to its high concentrations of the alkaloidpapaverine. It also has 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. It is common in evergreen forest and cultivated up to 1,300 m.
Medical
Consumption of Sauropus androgynus has been reported as being associated with bronchiolitis obliterans.
Nutrition
Sauropus androgynus is a good source of β-carotene α- and β-carotenes are partly metabolized into vitamin A. It is rich in Vitamin C providing more than 100% of the Daily Value per 100 g serving of, Iron and Zinc. However, the high levels of polyphenols, such as tannin, inhibit the absorption of Zn and Fe.
