Nutritional, anti-nutritional, and anti-mutagenic activities of the fresh and boiled Paeonia emodi leaves were analyzed. Significantly higher vitamin A (64.19 +/- 0.18 mg/100 g), C (160.50 +/- 1.85 mg/100 g), and E (1.25 +/- 0.00 mu g/g) contents were recorded in boiled as compared to fresh and dried juvenile leaves. Similarly, significantly higher protein content (329.63 +/- 0.33 mg/100 g) was found in boiled budding leaves, carbohydrate content in fresh juvenile (0.353 +/- 0.02) and mature leaves (0.353 +/- 0.10 mg/g) , methionine content (47.75 +/- 0.09 mg/g) in dried budding stage leaves, and proline content (1.23 +/- 0.12 mu M/g) in dried mature leaves. Anti-nutritional attributes like phytic acid (250.17 +/- 0.19 mg/100 g; p < 0.05) and total tannins (48.41 +/- 0.09 mg/g) were significantly higher in dried and fresh budding leaves, respectively; however, trypsin inhibition activity (91.90 +/- 0.34 %) was observed in dried juvenile leaves. Significantly higher 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity (71.13 +/- 0.09 mM AAE/100 g) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity (3.39 +/- 0.01 mM AAE/100 g) were recorded higher in dried budding leaves. On the other hand, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay (3.55 +/- 0.017 mM AAE/100 g) and OH ions (1.69 +/- 0.01 mM AAE/100 g) were significantly higher in boiled juvenile leaves and dried mature leaves, respectively. Anti-mutagenic activity of P. emodi extract revealed varying levels of protection against DNA damaging agents. The aqueous extract of P. emodi at budding leaves (500 mu g dried) showed comparatively better protective activity as compared to other growth stages. Results of this investigation indicated that the species have nutritional and medicinal value and therefore can be a potential source for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.