Abstract

Yam forms the basis of the diet of many African countries, as it is an important source of carbohydrates and other nutrients. In Burkina Faso, various yam cultivars are grown. However, data on their biochemical characteristics and nutritional value are not known, which strongly limits their use in breeding and varietal improvement programs. This study aims to characterize the nutritional and antioxidant potential of five genotypes of yams belonging to the Folou or Flado peasant varietal group grown in Burkina Faso, as data on their biochemical characteristics and nutritional value are currently lacking, which hampers their utilization in breeding and varietal improvement programs. The parameters assessed include starch, proteins, soluble sugars, total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity, evaluated through the ferric antioxidant power reduction (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods. The results indicate that yam tubers from the Flado or Folou varietal group constitute a rich source of nutritional and bioactive compounds. Total phenolic content ranged from 4.076 to 345.403 mg GAE/100 g dry weight, flavonoids from 0.399 to 34.679 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/100 g dry weight (dw), starch content from 1.641 to 10.137 mg/100 mg dw, proteins from 51.828 to 115.723 mg/100 mg dw, and soluble sugars from 0.071 to 2.528 mg/100 mg dw. The antioxidant activities ranged from 3.158 to 75.542% for DPPH radical scavenging and from 9.875 to 31.440 mg AAE/100 g dw for FRAP. These variations allowed for the distinction of three chemotypes. This research will significantly contribute to the conservation, management, promotion, and effective utilization of yam genetic resources in Burkina Faso.

Key words: Diocorea, Flado, Folou, varietal group, Burkina Faso.