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Abstract
Wild and underutilized solanaceous taxa represent untapped reservoirs of essential nutrients and functional biocompounds, yet their organ-specific nutrient partitioning across contrasting ecological zones remains poorly characterized. This study evaluated the proximate composition and biomass allocation patterns in foliar and mature fruit tissues of 14 wild and cultivated Solanaceae species harvested across diverse ecological zones of Pakistan. Dried botanical tissues underwent standardized proximate quantification. Substantial interspecific and inter-organ metabolic divergence was observed across all measured nutritional fractions. Foliar tissues functioned as primary metabolic and inorganic sinks, showing markedly higher ash (12.94 ± 0.30% to 30.40 ± 0.72%), crude protein (14.00 ± 0.35% to 27.13 ± 0.58%), and crude fiber (7.22 ± 0.24% to 23.52 ± 0.64%) on a dry-weight basis. Peak foliar mineral reserves were sequestered by Lycium persicum (30.40%) and Hyoscyamus muticus (30.38%), whereas Datura innoxia and Solanum schimperianum yielded the highest protein contents (27.13%). In contrast, reproductive fruit tissues operated predominantly as low-mineral sink organs (ash: 0.001 ± 0.00% to 1.01 ± 0.03%; protein: 3.00 ± 0.08% to 6.50 ± 0.20%), channeling metabolic reserves into total carbohydrates (82.75 ± 0.50% to 89.08 ± 0.28%) and moderate lipid fractions (1.01 ± 0.03% to 5.00 ± 0.15%). Moisture remained low across both dried leaves (5.74-8.35%) and fruits (2.90-4.20%), indicating favorable stability for post-harvest valorization. These findings demonstrate pronounced source-sink physiological differentiation in Solanaceae and identify P. angulata, S. villosum, and L. persicum as promising candidates for dietary diversification, nutraceutical extraction, and indigenous bioresource valorization.