Nutritional and Techno-Functional Suitability of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Flour from Three Agro-Ecological Zones in Cameroon for the Preparation of Infant Porridges

Abstract

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), is a tuber having high energy potential due to its high starch content, making it a staple food in many households in sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, in order to cover the caloric needs of the population over time and space, Cameroonian agronomy researchers have developed an improved variety of sweet potato (IRA1112) with a short maturity cycle and higher productivity than local varieties. However, there is lack of information about the nutritional and techno-functional potential of the sweet potato IRA1112. Hence, the aim of this study was therefore to assess the nutritional and technical-functional suitability of sweet potato flour from the improved variety IRA1112 for use as a basic ingredient in the formulation of high-energy food supplements. Sweet potato tubers were harvested in three agro-ecological zones of Cameroon: West (Dschang), Centre (Bafia) and Adamawa (Dang). The results showed that the tubers of the IRA1112 variety harvested in Bafia had a high content of soluble sugars, mainly fructose (20.87g/100g DM) and carotenoids (388.96 µg/100g MF). The presence of total phenolic compounds (1.53%) in these tubers could act against the formation of free radicals. The tubers from this locality have a relatively short cooking time but tend to retrograde rapidly compared with the other two. The low final viscosity observed in sweet potatoes from the Sudano-Sahelian zone (4Pa.s) and a relatively low gelatinization temperature show that tuber flour from this zone is better suited to the preparation of infant porridges.