Protein and Amino Acid Content of Sweetpotato Cultivars1

Abstract

Protein content of sweetpotatoes from a North Carolina root collection was determined. Protein content ranged from 1.73% dry basis to 9.14%. The amino acid composition of protein extracted from 6 selected cultivars was determined. Tryptophan and total sulfur amino acids were limiting by comparison with the FAO reference protein. Other essential amino acids were in excess suggesting that sweetpotato protein may be useful in supplementing other plant proteins.