Proximate composition of malaysian local sweet potatoes

Abstract

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) is one of the main crops worldwide. However, systematic properties characterization of this crop is still required, particularly on the Malaysian local sweet potatoes. Hence, this study aims to determine the proximate composition and the energy value of five common varieties of local sweet potato (Anggun 1, Anggun 2, Anggun 3, White, and VitAto) in Malaysia. For each variety, three different parts of the tuberous root which were the skin, the cortex, and the mixture of cambium and parenchyma were characterized. The findings indicated that VitAto exhibited the highest starch (16.95% – 17.17%) and crude protein (0.86% – 1.15%) contents in all parts as compared to other varieties, hence reflecting its potentials to be further processed for a mass starch production. Among all the parts, the skin contained the highest crude protein, crude fat, ash and crude fibre, which can be further utilized to produce by-products such as animal feed. The findings in this study serve as a baseline for the future starch and by-products production from local sweet potatoes.