A Comparative Evaluation of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Varieties Grown in Burundi and Their Dehydration Methods in Terms of Residuals Beta-Carotene Content

Abstract

During the drying and grinding processes, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes undergo various forms of degradation, including browning and a reduction in their residual beta-carotene content. In the present study residual of β -carotene content of four varieties of OFSP cultivated in Burundi (Irene, Naspot 9, Naspot 12 and Yanzovu) was assessed after being dried using both oven-drying and drying in sun. Naspot 12 variety exhibited the highest residual β -carotene content after being dried using both the two drying methods assessed. Residual β -carotene retention was however higher in the flour produced by oven-drying than that obtained by the sun-drying method. Naspot 12 is the ideal variety for retaining β -carotene after drying, whether in an oven-drying or in the sun. It is therefore the variety of choice for producing sweet potato flour with a high β -carotene content and could help prevent vitamin A deficiency, the one that produces flour with a high with a view to promoting its use to help prevent vitamin A deficiency-related diseases observed in households in Burundi.