Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Chemical Composition And Quality Changes Occurring In Dioscorea Dumetorum Pax Tubers After Harvest, Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, Samuel Sefa-Dedeh

Professor Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa

Studies were conducted on the chemical composition, as well as the biochemical and textural changes, occurring during storage of two cultivars of Dioscorea dumetorum yam tubers. The tubers were harvested and stored under tropical ambient (28_C) and cold room conditions (4_C) for 24, 48 and 72 h. The samples were evaluated for moisture, starch, sugars, fibres and textural properties. Chemical analysis showed no significant differences between the means obtained for moisture, ash, protein, fibre, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C contents of the cultivars (white and yellow) studied. During storage, moisture contents decreased by approximately 6–10% …