Effect of processing on protein and carotenoids in weaning food formulated from sweetpotatoes, or Apios americana

White flesh sweetpotatoes (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) are a major food crop in developing countries. This study was to evaluate the protein and carotenoid content and quality of various white fleshed African sweetpotatoes and Apios americana tubers for use as a weaning food. The sweetpotato and Apios are not normally considered sources of carotenoids and proteins, but the wide use of sweetpotatoes as a source of carbohydrate and the renewed interest in Apios warrant the study of carotenoids and proteins in these crops. Total carotenoids ranged from 0;The sweetpotatoes protein content ranged from 4.26 to 8.23 percent fresh weight after pureeing and freeze drying. These were formulated into a rat diet by increasing protein content with pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan) and other dietary supplements, in 60:40 ratio (root crop: pigeon peas). The pigeon peas raised the protein content to 10% for protein efficiency ratio (PER) studies. PER for diets was found to range from 1.57 to 1.92 compared to a PER of 2.5 for casein, indicating significant differences (p ;Processing into puree lowered the amino acid contents from raw roots but in varying degrees. There was a significant difference between the amino acids in the sweetpotato cultivars (p ;This study shows that some white flesh sweetpotatoes with complimentation may be used as a source of protein for weaning food but not as a source of...