TITLE:
A Comparative Evaluation of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Varieties Grown in Burundi and Their Dehydration Methods in Terms of Residuals Beta-Carotene Content
AUTHORS:
Ezéchiel Ndikumasabo, Paul Malumba, Séverin Sindayikengera, Aloys Nzigamasabo, Venant Nihorimbere
KEYWORDS:
Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato, Sun Drying, Oven-Drying, β-Carotene, Variety
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.17 No.8,
August
11,
2026
ABSTRACT: During the drying and grinding processes, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes undergo various forms of degradation, including browning and a reduction in their residual beta-carotene content. In the present study residual of β-carotene content of four varieties of OFSP cultivated in Burundi (Irene, Naspot 9, Naspot 12 and Yanzovu) was assessed after being dried using both oven-drying and drying in sun. Naspot 12 variety exhibited the highest residual β-carotene content after being dried using both the two drying methods assessed. Residual β-carotene retention was however higher in the flour produced by oven-drying than that obtained by the sun-drying method. Naspot 12 is the ideal variety for retaining β-carotene after drying, whether in an oven-drying or in the sun. It is therefore the variety of choice for producing sweet potato flour with a high β-carotene content and could help prevent vitamin A deficiency, the one that produces flour with a high with a view to promoting its use to help prevent vitamin A deficiency-related diseases observed in households in Burundi.