Abstract: In this paper, the leaves of Indocalamus herklotsii, Indocalamus decorus, and Indocalamus latifolius were collected from Nanjing in different seasons to study the seasonal changes of the total flavonoids, tea polyphenols, and soluble sugar contents in the leaves. There existed significant differences in the test active ingredients contents among the leaves of the three Indocalamus species. The leaf total flavonoids content of the three Indocalamus species in different seasons ranged in 1.7%-2.7%, being the highest for I. herklotsii and I. decorus in spring and for I. latifolius in winter. The leaf tea polyphenols content varied from 5.5% to 7.6%; and the leaf soluble sugar content was 1.0%-8.5%, with the maximum in spring. Within the three months after leaf unfolding, the active ingredients contents in I. herklotsii and I. decorus leaves increased with leaf age. The optimal period for harvesting Indocalamus leaves was from December to next March. Among the three Indocalamus species, I. latifolius had the highest contents of the three active ingredients in leaves, suggesting that I. latifolius had greater potential value in the utilization of its leaf active ingredients than the other two species.

Key words: Indocalamus leaf, total flavonoids, tea polyphenols, soluble sugar, leaf-harvesting period