The Potential of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato to Prevent Vitamin A Deficiency in Africa

Abstract

The article highlights the significance of vitamin A for human nutrition, the effect of vitamin A deficiency, the different prevention methods and the potential of orange- fleshed sweet potato as a food crop to prevent vitamin A deficiency.

Storage root yield of sweetpotato as influenced by sweetpotato leaf curl virus and its interaction with sweetpotato feathery mottle virus, and sweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus in Kenya

“…The highest negative and significant association existed between total storage root yield and disease severity, in both varieties. Gurmu et al (2015), described a negative correlation between virus symptoms and root yield and is consistent with present results. SPVD is a damaging disease complex of sweetpotato and the negative correlation observed between fresh root yield and disease severity was expected.…”

A review of therapeutic potentials of sweet potato: Pharmacological activities and influence of the cultivar

“…The dietary fibre; hemicellulose and cellulose are also vital components of sweet potato due to its protectant abilities against colon cancers and vascular diseases [13]. Vitamin A is abundant in orange fleshed sweet potato and hence an appropriate food source to address vitamin A deficiency [29]. High content of vitamin B6 in the root tubers help in reducing the blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid which has been implicated as a risk factor in cardiovascular diseases [30].…”

Genotype-by-environment interaction and stability of sweetpotato genotypes for root dry matter, β-carotene and fresh root yield

“…It is mainly grown for fresh consumption. Presently, orange-fleshed sweetpotato varieties (OFSP) are being widely promoted due to their high β-carotene (pro-vitamin A) content (Tofu et al 2007;Gurmu et al 2015). However, the root dry matter contents (RDMC) of the OFSP varieties is low, which has direct effect on taste, influencing the acceptance of the varieties.…”