Monthly dynamics of nutritional and metabolomic quality in the woody vegetable Yunnanopilia longistaminea: environmental associations and harvest implications.

BACKGROUND: Yunnanopilia longistaminea is an esteemed woody vegetable native to southwestern China, with high culinary desirability and economic value. Its nutritional quality varies markedly across monthly harvests, which may influence market valuation and guide strategies for product development and commercial utilization. RESULTS: This study characterized the monthly variation in nutritional components and metabolomic profiles of Y. longistaminea tender shoots and evaluated their associations with climatic and environmental factors. The results showed that carbohydrate levels remained relatively stable, whereas soluble proteins, chlorophyll, polyphenols and amino acids exhibited significant monthly fluctuations. These variations were closely associated with precipitation, humidity, temperature, and solar radiation. Untargeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry metabolomic profiling identified terpenoids and flavonoids as the major differential metabolite classes contributing to monthly discrimination. Integration with environmental data showed that terpenoids were generally associated with higher temperature and lower precipitation and humidity, whereas flavonoids accumulated at higher levels under relatively humid conditions with lower temperature and reduced radiation intensity. These results suggest distinct environment-associated accumulation patterns for terpenoid and flavonoid metabolites. CONCLUSION: Samples harvested in February exhibited the most favorable overall nutritional and metabolomic profiles, with relatively high levels of essential nutrients and bioactive metabolites. These findings provide new insights into the monthly dynamics and environmental associations of nutritional quality in Y. longistaminea, suggesting February as a preliminary optimal harvest period under the single-year study conditions, and offering practical guidance for cultivation management and industrial applications. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.