BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES DURING THE STORAGE OF SWEET POTATO ROOTS

The biochemical changes during storage targeted the total dry matter, total soluble solids content, the total and reducing sugar content, the glucose content as well as the starch content, from the roots of six sweet potato genotype (Ipomoea batatas L.). Determinations were performed at harvest and then during storage after 30 days and 90 days. The results showed that the investigated biochemical indices vary during storage depending on genotype and period. Thus, after 30 days of storage, the DM content varied from 21.56% to 29.85% and then increased from 23.75% to 32.42% at 90 days of storage. For the TSS content, values between 9.20% (cultivar 2) and 12.80% (cultivar 3) were initially recorded, so that after 90 days of storage, the values increased from 11.3% (cultivar 6) to 16.26% (cultivar 3). The content of glucose and reducing sugars increased during the storage period of the sweet potato. Storage had little influence on the starch content. There was considerable genotypic variation of this constituent with a reduction of up to 11.30% after 90 days of storage.