Nutritional Revalorization of Camellia japonica: Implications for Mineral Deficiency and Dietary Supplementation

Ezgi YUKSEK; A. Gonzalez Pereira; Javier Echave; Paula Barciela; Ana Perez-Vazquez; Miguel Angel Prieto

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Nutritional Revalorization of Camellia japonica: Implications for Mineral Deficiency and Dietary Supplementation

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¹ Instituto de Agroecoloxía e Alimentación (IAA), Universidade de Vigo, Nutrition and Food Group (NuFoG), Campus Auga, 32004 Ourense, Spain.
² Nutrition and Food Group (NuFoG), Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Instituto de Agroecoloxía e Alimentación (IAA)—CITEXVI, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
³ Investigaciones Agroalimentarias Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36312 Vigo, Spain
⁴ CIMO, LA SusTEC, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal

Academic Editor: Omar Cauli

Published: 04 September 2025 by MDPI in The 1st International Online Conference on Diseases session Nutrition & Dietetics

Abstract:

Camellia japonica, which is traditionally valued as an ornamental plant, has recently attracted attention for its nutritional potential due to its rich mineral profile. This study aimed to evaluate the macromineral composition of C. japonica leaves to assess their potential for food and nutraceutical applications.

Dried leaf samples were subjected to acid digestion, and the concentrations of calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), and sodium (Na) were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Analyses were conducted in triplicate, and the results were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (mg/kg dry weight).

Compared to well-known leafy vegetables such as spinach (Spinacia oleracea) on a dry weight basis [1], C. japonica leaves exhibit lower mineral concentrations overall. Nevertheless, the results revealed that C. japonica is particularly rich in Ca (8301.26 ± 78.42), K (3096.23 ± 12.55), and Mg (1415.25 ± 24.34), with moderate levels of P (437.44 ± 6.92) and Na (126.99 ± 4.38). These findings highlight its potential as a sustainable and underutilized botanical source for the development of functional foods and dietary supplements.

(1) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. (2024). FoodData Central: Spinach, raw (FDC ID: 168462). Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168462/nutrients

Keywords: Keywords: Camellia japonica, macrominerals, dietary supplements, functional food, plant-based nutrition, calcium, magnesium, sustainable nutrition, underutilized plants.

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