Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Quality of Cultivars Harvested in Different Growing Seasons.

() is a popular aquatic vegetable with various nutrients in south China, but little is known about its cultivars and growing seasons in terms of the nutritional components. This work aims to characterize the nutrients of five cultivars in different growing seasons. The results showed that samples differed in terms of chemical parameters, which were significantly affected by variety, growing season, and their interaction. Zhejiao No. 8, harvested in the autumn, stood out with the highest levels of vitamin C. Tangxiajiao and Zhejiao No. 1 contained the highest values of total soluble solids, reducing sugar, soluble proteins, and amino acids. Significant differences were observed between the autumn and spring samples; the former were of higher quality than the latter based on hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis. Moreover, total amino acids (TAA) and glutamic acid (GLU) were selected as the key indicators for comprehensive quality by multiple linear regression analysis. This study provides essential information on quality characteristics corresponding to cultivars and growing seasons, which lays the foundation for promoting the quality improvement of scientifically.