Comparative Study of the Bioactive Compound Content of Sweet Potato Varieties Grown in Hungary
Source abstract
Abstract
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) is increasingly recognized as a functional crop due to its rich content of health-promoting phytochemicals. This study compared the phenolic compound profiles of four sweet potato varieties differing in flesh colour (purple, orange, white, and pale yellow) cultivated in three distinct regions of Hungary. The objective was to evaluate the relative effects of pigmentation and growing location on antioxidant capacity. Tubers were collected in triplicate and analyzed spectrophotometrically (UV–Vis) for vitamin C, total flavonoids, and total polyphenols. Statistical analysis using two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD revealed that flesh colour had a significant effect on all antioxidant parameters (p < 0.05), whereas geographic origin did not. Purple-fleshed tubers exhibited markedly higher levels of vitamin C (21.6 mg/100 mL), flavonoids (378.7 mg/100 mL), and polyphenols (37.0 mg/100 mL) compared with the other colour groups. These findings indicate that pigmentation is a stronger determinant of antioxidant potential than cultivation region. The results highlight the promising nutritional value of Hungarian purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties, supporting their use in functional food development and sustainable agricultural diversification strategies.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Potato Plant Research · Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities · Growth and nutrition in plants
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Institute of Diagnostic, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, H-7621 Pécs, Hungary
Institute of Basics of Health Sciences, Midwifery and Health Visiting, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, H-7621 Pécs, Hungary
Institute of Education, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, H-7400 Kaposvár, Hungary
Funding
University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Diagnostics
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