The effect of thermal cooking method on proximate analysis on

orange and purple sweet potato

Nurul Ain Najihah, Nurul Haikal, Nurul Maisarah, Saidatul Husna, Siti Nasuha, Syahirah,
Wan Siti Aishah, Nur Aisyah Ismail
Laboratory of Food Analysis and Food Wet, Faculty Applied of Science, UiTM Kuala Pilah, 7200 Negeri
Sembilan, Malaysia

Keywords:
Orange sweet potato
Purple sweet potato
Nutrition content
Blanching
Steaming

1. Introduction
Ipomoea batatas L, also known as sweet potatoes. Members of Christopher Columbus’s
expedition was the first who found I.batatas. I.batatas possibly found between Yucatan
peninsula of Mexico and Mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela 5000 years ago. The
cultigen was most likely spread by the local people to Caribbean and South America by 2500
Before Century. Before western exploration, it is known as sweet potato in Polynesia. Then,
it is change to Ipomoea batatas which generally spread by vine cuttings rather than by seeds.
Basically, I.batatas grown best at average temperature of 24℃ (75ºF) abundant sunshine and
warm night. It is sensitive to aluminium toxicity and will die about 6 weeks after planting. If
lime is not applied at planting in this type of soil. In addition, I.batatas has many type of
colour, which is purple, orange, yellow, red brown and beige. Malaysian more prefer with
purple and orange sweet potato than others.This work aimed to evaluate the proximate
analysis of OFSP and PFSP. The result from this experiment will gain knowledge about
which thermal cooking method will maintain higher nutritional value on OFSP and PFSP. It
also determined which method is more healthy to consume.

2. Material and methods

2.1. Materials
The sweet potatoes were washed, peeled and cut into pieces with the same dimension of
cutting. Thus, they were blanched and steamed at 100ºC for 20 minutes. After those step, the
sample was dried in oven and grounded then stored in refrigerator at chill temperature.

2.2. Proximate composition

The effect of thermal cooking on proximate analysis of sweet potatoes was done
according to the procedure described including Ash content that was determined by total ash
method, the crude protein was assessed by Kjeldahl method. Then, crude fibre was
determined by using oven drying method. Besides that, crude fat assessed by Soxhlet
extraction. Lastly, carbohydrate content was determined by calculate the difference between
the other content that has be determined. In conclusion, the expected analysis result between
orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and purple-fleshed potatoes are different. The nutrient content
in purple-fleshed sweet potatoes were higher than the nutrient content in orange-fleshed
sweet potatoes except for the total of carbohydrate content. For the total carbohydrate content
in purple-fleshed sweet potatoes lower than orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.