Extend the emphasis to encompass sweet potatoes health advantages, industrial applications, and nutritional qualities
Sana Noreen, Madiha Khan Niazi, Somia Shehzadi, Ali Ikram, Muhammad Tayyab Arshad, Kodjo Théodore Gnedeka
Abstract
Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas L.) are a key food crop in tropical and subtropical regions, notably Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Asia and Africa account for 95% of global production. Sweet potatoes’ tendrils, leaves, tubers, and stems are rich in vitamins, minerals, fats, carbs, and proteins. Research indicates that bioactive compounds such as β-carotene, anthocyanins, polyphenols, and phytochemicals can reduce cardiovascular disease risk and have antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-obesity, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects. Beyond food security, sweet potatoes can generate revenue through the creation of functional foods and beverages, such as sour starch, sweet potato curd, lacto-pickles, lacto-juice, acidophilus milk, soy sauce, and alcoholic drinks via solid-state or submerged fermentation. This article aims to comprehensively review the bio-processing of sweet potatoes into industrial products and their phytochemical and therapeutic profiles.