Browsing by Author "MLEKWA, Mosi Juma"

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    Quantification of Lycopene and Β-Carotene in Coloured Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea Batatas L.) From Donge Zanzibar
    (SUZA, 2022-12-01) MLEKWA, Mosi Juma
    Coloured fruits, vegetables and tuber crops contain important food carotenoids such as lycopene and β-carotene that play significant nutritional values to human body. While lycopene is a well-known antioxidant agent β-carotene is considered as a potential source of vitamin A. It is unfortunate that these crops are neglected and their nutritional values are rarely documented. This study aimed to characterize and quantify lycopene and β-carotene present in available coloured sweet potatoes found in Donge, Zanzibar. The study employed gravitational methods and UV-VIS spectrophotometer techniques to quantify and identify lycopene and β-carotene respectively in the three common sweet potato varieties farmed in Zanzibar to assess their composition and nutritional values. The results revealed presence of maximum peaks for β-carotene and lycopene at wavelength range of 375nm to 475nm. Both lycopene and β-carotene were found in deep orange flesh (Mataya) and light orange flesh (Jowel) varieties while yellow flesh variety contained β-carotene only without lycopene. The levels of carotenoids were significantly higher in deep orange flesh (mean = 3285.45 µg/g) variety followed by light orange (mean = 2811.43 µg/g) and yellow flesh variety (mean 1015.38 µg/g). This carotenoids content trend is directly related to the colour intensity of the sweet potato varieties. Compositional analysis of carotenoids showed slight dominance of lycopene over β-carotene in Deep Orange Flesh and Light Orange Flesh but not in yellow flesh that was entirely dominated by β-carotene only. In general level of carotenoids content reveals the nutritional significant of all three varieties, however the highest levels of both lycopene over β-carotene in deep orange flesh make the varieties more suitable in addressing vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and problem of chronic diseases associated with oxidant stresses