Nutritional Contents of Two Varieties of Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam ) Cultivated IN North Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Food shortages and nutritional imbalances are among the main food security problems in many countries around the world. In this study, the nutrients content of the yellow and red-fleshed sweet potatoes varieties cultivated in Nigeria were assessed.
 Materials and Methods: The proximate composition, mineral elements analysis, phytochemicals, and vitamins content of the red and yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes were determined using the standard methods of analysis.
 Results: The proximate analysis has shown that, the moisture (17.927%) and fat (2.703%) content of the yellow sweet potato were significantly (p<0.05) higher than in the red potato with a content of 16.68% and 1.693% respectively. The protein and fiber content of the red potato are 14.280% and 14.572% respectively, this is quite higher than in the yellow cultivar having 12.987% and 10.443% of the nutrients respectively. The ash and carbohydrate content were same in both. The red potato exhibits high level of sodium (11.420 mg/l), potassium (1.206 mg/l), and magnesium (8.468 mg/l) in contrast to the red potato containing 10.270 mg/l, 1.035 mg/l and 6.127 mg/l of the respective elements. Iron and zinc content were comparable in both cultivars while the calcium content (1.444 mg/l) of the yellow cultivar is significantly higher than in the red variety (1.144 mg/l). The vitamin A, B and E content of the red potato are 8.740 µmol/L, 2.977 mg/dl, and 13.267 mg/dl respectively. These values are significantly (p<0.05) higher than in the yellow potato containing 6.047 µmol/L, 1.680 mg/dl, and 11.110 mg/dl of the respective vitamins. There is no significant difference with respect to the vitamin C content of both yellow (11.850 mg/dl) and red potato (12.520 mg/dl). The phytochemicals: tannins, flavonoids, phenols, terpenes, and anthocyanins content of the red sweet potato are 0.967 mg/g, 1.577 mg/g, 1.867 mg/g, 6.590 mg/g and 2.660 mg/g respectively. Terpenes and anthocyanins were not found in the yellow cultivar. However, saponins (0.823 mg/g) were found in the yellow variety but not in the red potato. Amount of the tannins, flavonoids and phenols observed in the yellow-fleshed potato are 0.667 mg/g, 1.027 mg/g and 1.287 mg/g respectively. These values are lower than in the corresponding red potato.
 Conclusion: In this study, the nutritional contents of sweet potato varieties have been assessed which will immensely contribute to reducing the menace of malnutrition bedeviling the Northwestern part of Nigeria.

Efek Metode Blansing dan Suhu Pengeringan Terhadap Mutu Tepung Ubi Jalar (Ipomoea batatas L.)

“…Kadar karbohidrat yang diperoleh pada penelitian ini lebih tinggi dibandingkan hasil penelitian Muhammad et al (2022), kandungan karbohidrat ubi jalar kuning dan merah masingmasing adalah 40,653% dan 37,393%. Demikian pula penelitian Suparno et al (2016)…”

Determination of optimum conditions for maximum bioethanol yield from the Nigerian sweet potato (Ipomoea Batatas (L.) Lam)

“…Not just in developing countries, potatoes generally place second in the commonly used food in the world [2]. Being a root and tuber crop, sweet potatoes have high contents of starch, pectin and vitamins with starch accounting for about 30 -85 g per 100 g of the tuber crop [17]. They also do not need complex pretreatment for bioethanol production due to their starchy nature [2].…”