Effects of explant source,culture medium: Strength and growth regulators on the in-vitro propagation of three Jamaican yams: (Dioscorea cayenensis,D trifida and d rotundata)

Explants of tuber, meristem and vines from three widely cultivated yam species in Jamaica—D cayenensis, D rotundata and D trifida—were examined for their responses to mineral media strength, inorganic ammonium and growth regulator supplements. Tuber pieces (5mm³) showed some positive growth responses but did not produce in-vitro plantlets on all the media tested. Meristem tips of D trifida grew rapidly on basal media (BM) supplemented with either 0.1 mglitre^?1 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) and 0.01 mg litre^?1indole butyric acid or 0.2 mg litre^?1 BAP and 1.0 mg litre^?1 naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) producing plantlets by 28 weeks. The nodal explants grew rapidly with plantlets obtained from all the cultivars within 4 weeks. Use of young, vigorously growing vines of 8 weeks or less, as explant source, gave low contamination levels (16–25%) in culture when sterilised for 30 min in 200 g litre^?1 NaOCl in the case of D trifida and 300 g litre^?1 NaOCl in the case of D cayenesis prior to culturing. Initiation of growth was optimal when explants were taken from monopodial vines grown in October or January and placed on BM supplemented with 0.5 mg litre^?1 BAP (BM0.5BAP). Addition of 0.5 mg litre^?1 kinetin to the BM or 0.05 mg litre^?1 NAA to BM0.5BAP depressed shoot production, while 5.0 mg litre^?1 kinetin increased swelling of the nodal region in explants from sympodial shoots and from vines grown in March. The results suggest that nodal segments excised from young, fast growing vines of these species are the best explant source for the purpose of commercial micropropagation.     

Biochemical composition and storage of Jamaican yams (Dioscorea sp)

Dioscorea yam tubers of 11 cultivars from five common species grown in Jamaica were analysed for the following: protein content, total phenolics, vitamin C, total lipids, fatty acid composition and activity of the polyphenol oxidase enzyme. The results show that the yams grown in Jamaica are of good nutritional value with considerable amounts of protein, vitamin C, low lipids with only one cultivar ‘renta yam’ (D alata) possessing high levels of phenolic compounds. The fatty acids present in the total lipid extracts show that yam tubers generally possess high levels of saturated fatty acids mainly palmitic acid. However, the species D alata (cv white yam) and the species D trifida (cv yampie) have high levels of the unsaturated fatty acid, linolenic. All the polyphenol oxidases from the 11 cultivars show activities towards the diphenol substrates, catechol and DL-DOPA (DL-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine). However, no oxidation was observed with L-tyrosine, a monophenol substrate. All cultivars studied were found to have different lengths of dormancy which varied with storage conditions. When the harvested tubers were washed, sunned and stored at 20?C in a dark cupboard, it was possible to extend their lengths of dormancy by a further 11 weeks.     

Biochemical aspects of wound healing in yams (Dioscorea spp)

The effects of wounding on the activities of certain enzymes and on the concentrations of selected metabolites were investigated in the tubers of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata). Lipolytic acyl hydrolase activity decreased and disappeared after 4 days whereas the activity of lipoxygenase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase increased to a maximum after 1, 4 and 5 days, respectively. The activities of lipoxygenase and polyphenol oxidase were much higher in the proximal half of the tubers than in the distal portion. The increase in lipoxygenase activity at the wound site was a localised phenomenon. The application of the antibiotic, tetracycline, during the early stages of wound healing substantially reduced the increase in the activities of polyphenol oxidase and lipoxygenase. The concentration of free amino acids, total polyphenols and ascorbate increased in response to wounding. Free amino acids steadily declined after 24 h following wounding.     

Rapid detection of polymorphism in yams (Dioscorea sp) through amplification by polymerase chain reaction and rDNA variation

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) from rice (Oriza Sativa) was used to examine polymorphism in 12 yam (Dioscorea sp) cultivars. Restriction enzyme digests of total yam DNA was probed with the pRR217 probe containing the entire repeat unit of rDNA from rice. The polymerase chain reaction was also used to amplify genomic DNA of six of the 12 cultivars studied using random primers. The amplification patterns of D rotundata-cayenensis cv tau suggested that ‘tau’ is more closely related to D rotundata sp than it is to the D cayenensis sp. The results showed polymorphisms among the different yam cultivars.     

Improving the application of gibberellic acid to prolong dormancy of yam tubers (Dioscorea spp)

With the aim of reducing the cost and time needed to treat yam tubers with gibberellic acid (GA₃), this study compared several new methods of application with the established dipping procedure (150 mg kg^?1 for 1 h). Both GA₃‐containing soil paste (25 mg kg^?1) and gelatinized starch (860 mg kg^?1) were applied to tuber heads of Dioscorea alata and D cayenensis‐rotundata in the Ivory Coast. Soil paste, gelatinized starch and dipping consistently prolonged dormancy and reduced fresh matter losses by 23–39% in D cayenensis‐rotundata 3‐year means. Although dipping reduced the storage losses most efficiently, soil paste and gelatinized starch used considerably less GA₃. Both new treatments were easily prepared and quickly applied. Soil paste was most effective when the treatment was repeated before the end of dormancy. The third new method, spraying the tubers with a GA₃ solution (150 mg kg^?1), was not effective. In general, the optimal time of application was immediately post‐harvest. For D alata, treatment only 1 month after harvest was particularly ineffective, whereas D cayenensis‐rotundata tubers could be treated with some effect up to the end of dormancy. To achieve extended storage periods of healthy tubers of D cayenensis‐rotundata, GA₃ application may be recommended as post‐harvest practice. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Relationship between the physicochemical properties of starches and the glycemic indices of some Jamaican yams (Dioscorea spp.)

Starch granules from round leaf yellow yam (RY), Lucea yam (LY), white yam (WY), and Chinese yam (CY) grown in Jamaica were isolated and the relationship between starch amylose content, crystallinity, microscopic properties, in vitro digestibility, and the glycemic index (GI) of the tubers was investigated. The results indicate that RY had the highest amylose content (265.30 +/- 0.09 g/kg starch) while CY the lowest (111.44 +/- 0.03 g/kg starch). A corresponding variation in starch digestibility and GI was also observed, as CY which had the highest in vitro digestibility had the highest GI (21.27 +/- 0.01 and 97.42 +/- 0.62%, respectively), while RY, LY, and WY starches with low digestibility had lowest GI. Differences in the crystalline pattern of the different starches were observed, where RY, LY, and WY displayed the type B crystalline pattern while CY had the intermediate crystallite (type C).     

Glutathione and β-amylase,peroxidase and o-diphenolase activities during sprouting of minisett yams (Dioscorea sp)

Glutathione, β-amylase, o-diphenolase (EC 1.10.3.1) and peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) activities were assayed in minisetts derived from the head, middle and tail sections of sprouted Dioscorea alata (cv Sweet Yam) and D cayenensis (cv Round Leaf) yam tubers. In both tubers the head portions exhibited highest initial activities followed by the middle and tail, respectively. Minisetts obtained from the head, middle and tail sections of D alata sprouted uniformly whereas those obtained from D cayenensis tubers showed a much slower, sporadic sprouting pattern, with the head portions displaying dominant sprouting, The results revealed that sprouting initiation of the minisetts from both species correlated well with increased glutathione levels. High levels of peroxidase and reduced levels of o-diphenolase seemed to enhance the sprouting of the minisetts.     

Macromolecular characteristics of ten yam (Dioscorea spp) starches

Starches from ten yam (Dioscorea) species were compared with those of maize, wheat, potato and cassava, and characterized by high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography coupled with multiangle laser light scattering. Treatment with 95% (v/v) dimethylsulphoxide and microwave heating in a high‐pressure vessel led to complete dissolution of the starch samples. For yam starches, M?_w were between 1.88 × 10⁸ and 3.27 × 10⁸ g mol^?1 and R?_G were between 258 and 396 nm. The hydrodynamic coefficients of amylopectins were between 0.36 and 0.44, indicating that those of maizes and esculenta 5 and dumetorum yam species had particularly highly branched structures. Multidimensional analysis of the macromolecular characteristics of yam starches indicated three classes: dumetorum cultivar (Dioscorea dumetorum), esculenta 5 cultivar (Dioscorea esculenta) and the other eight yam starches, including cultivars of Dioscorea alata and Dioscorea cayenensis‐rotundata species. Some yam starches were also leached at 90 °C. The macromolecular characteristics of the leached fractions confirmed the previous typology. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Genetic diversity of organoleptic properties in water yam (Dioscorea alata L)

Improving the food quality of yams (Dioscorea spp) is an ongoing challenge to yam breeders and researchers. Forty accessions of D alata were evaluated for the suitability of their tubers for the preparation of two dominant food forms (boiled and pounded) as part of an effort to identify potential parents for use in genetic improvement. Trained panellists were presented with randomised, replicated and coded samples of boiled yam tuber pieces and asked to rate them for mealiness, colour, wetness, softness and taste. The sensory attributes considered for pounded yam (dough from boiled and pounded tubers) were consistency, colour, sheen, smoothness, stickiness, elasticity and hardness. Ratings were based on hedonic scales. Cluster analysis revealed groupings of accessions into eight and nine similarity clusters for boiled yam and pounded yam respectively. The mean scores for general preference were regressed on individual attribute scores. Mealiness, colour and taste were important in the general preference for boiled yam. Consistency, colour and stickiness determined the general preference for pounded yam. Of the accessions, 67% were identified as being suitable for preparation as a boiled vegetable, while 55% were assessed to be good for pounded yam, based on the respective quality attributes evaluated. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

In vitro Digestibility of Raw Starches Extracted from five Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Species Grown in Jamaica

Starch granules from Round leaf yellow yam, Negro yam, Sweet yam, Bitter yam and Chinese yam grown in Jamaica were isolated and characterized. The amylose content, granular size, crystallinity, and digestibility by α‐amylase were determined. The granules obtained were of three crystalline types. Round leaf yellow yam, Negro yam and Sweet yam were found to be type‐B, while Chinese yam and Bitter yam were type‐C and type‐A, respectively. Round leaf yellow yam had the highest amylose content (26.5%) while Chinese yam had the lowest (11.1%). The granule size varied between 1–3 μm for Chinese yam and 16–42 μm for Round leaf yellow yam. Significant variations in digestibility of the granules were observed. Raw starches from Chinese yam and Bitter yam were the most susceptible to α‐amylase digestion (porcine pancreatic α‐amylase, pH 5.5, 0.02% CaCl₂, 40°C, 24 h) with 21.27 ± 0.01% and 18.11 ± 0.02% degradation, respectively, while Round leaf yellow yam, Negro yam and Sweet yam starches were the least susceptible, with 13.74 ± 0.03%, 14.98 ± 0.08%, and 15.32 ± 0.04% enzymatic degradation, respectively.     

Variability in starch physicochemical and functional properties of yam (Dioscorea sp) cultivated in Ivory Coast

An Erratum has been published for this article in Journal Of the Science of Food and Agriculture 85(5), 889 (2005). Native starches were extracted from 21 cultivars of four yam species representative of the yam population of Ivory Coast. They were first characterized for their proximate composition, starch physico‐chemical properties (amylose content, particle size distribution, crystallinity, thermal properties and intrinsic viscosity). Some functional properties (swelling, solubility and pasting behaviour and paste clarity) were then determined. Analysis of variance and principal component analysis showed that three homogenous groups could be distinguished, mainly based on starch physico‐chemical properties. The first group contained all yam starches of the D alata and the D cayenensis‐rotundata complex species. It was characterized by a large diameter grain (approximately 25 µm), a high amylose content (around 25% db), a high intrinsic viscosity (mean of 190 cm³ g^?1), and a high apparent viscosity and clarity of the paste. The second group contained the D esculenta varieties, characterized by a small granule size (diameter 6 µm), a low intrinsic viscosity (121 cm³ g^?1), a high gelatinization enthalpy change (19 J g^?1) and a low paste viscosity. The D dumetorum sample differed from the D esculenta group by having a pure A‐type crystalline form and an opaque paste. A multiple regression showed that the volume fraction of the dispersed phase and native granule size (or amylose content) could account for close to 80% of the variability of paste apparent viscosity. Gel clarity appeared mainly linked to granule size, small granules from D dumetorum and D esculenta giving the most opaque gels. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Physico‐chemical characteristics of non‐irradiated and γ‐irradiated yams cultivars (Dioscorea rotundata,Dioscorea alata) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam)

Physico‐chemical (pasting) properties of non‐irradiated (fresh) and γ‐irradiated yam cultivars and sweet potato were determined using Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). Generally, pasting characteristics of the commodities decreased significantly with increased γ‐irradiation dose. Non‐irradiated sweet potato showed significantly higher peak (45.79), trough (35.25), breakdown (10.54), final (75.21) and setback (39.96) viscosities (in RVU) than γ‐irradiated samples. Also, peak time (6.97 min) and pasting temperature (50.18 RVU) significantly reduced with increased γ‐irradiation dose of tubers. The pasting properties of non‐irradiated and γ‐irradiated sweet potato showed similar but clearer trend compared with yam flours. Also, non‐irradiated and γ‐irradiated Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea alata showed significantly higher values of each of the pasting characteristics than values noted in sweet potato. Aside from the TDr 03/00196, peak time did not vary significantly with γ‐irradiation dose.     

Effect of short-term storage on phenolic content,o-diphenolase and peroxidase activities of cut yam tubers (Dioscorea sp)

The effect of short-term storage on the protein, phosphorus and phenolic content as well as peroxidase and o-diphenolase activities of cut, harvested Jamaican yam (Dioscorea sp) tubers (D rotundata. D alata and D cayenensis) was studied. There was an initial increase in the total phenolic content up to the third week of storage followed by a gradual decrease to the sixth week. Phenolic content was found to be highest in D cayenensis followed by D rotundata and D alata. The activities of peroxidase (EC 1. 11. 1. 7) and o-diphenolase (EC 1. 10.3.1) increased steadily up to the third week of storage and thereafter decreased to the fifth week. The intensity and rapidity of browning in tubers when cut, correlated very closely with the tuber o-diphenolase and phenolic content levels while the onset of rotting correlated with the peroxidase activity levels in the species studied.     

Nutritional quality of yam (Dioscorea dumetorum and D rotundata) flours for growing rats

The digestibility and metabolism of diets based on flours prepared from raw, boiled or steamed tubers of the sweet yam (Dioscorea dumetorum) were evaluated in growing albino rats by the balance method in comparison with diets containing similar flours from the popular white yam (D rotundata). The results show that whatever their method of preparation, flours from D dumetorum promote higher growth rate and have higher nutritional value in the growing rat than corresponding D rotundata flours. This can be attributed to the good digestibility of D dumetorum starch which facilitates digestibility and absorption of nitrogen and other nutrients. Moisture-heat treatment of tubers before processing into flour improves the nutritional value, especially for D rotundata.     

Iron,nickel, copper,zinc and cadmium content of two cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and their source soils

The determination by atomic absorption spectroscopy of the iron, nickel, copper, zinc and cadmium content of two cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Pair) and their source soil from three farms, and also of random samples of the cultivars from five geographical areas in Kaduna and Plateau states of Nigeria, is reported. The analyses show all the metals except Fe to be in trace amounts in the tissues of both cultivars; the barks contain two to four times more. The iron content was found to be about 20 times higher in the bark than in the tissue. Less than 0.7% of the metals present in the soil could be extracted with NH₄NO₃ solution. Yam bark, which contains reasonable amounts of the above metals, could be useful as cattle feed. Yam tissue, having a high content of Zn compared with Cd, could be recommended for the diet of hypertensive patients.     

Effect of Hydroxypropylation on the Properties of White Yam (Dioscorea rotundata) Starch

Starch isolated from white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) was subjected to hydroxypropylation under different conditions. Corresponding increases were observed between the molar substitution (MS) and the volume of propylene oxide added to the reaction mixture. After hydroxypropylation, a slight reduction in the intensity of the peak at 2θ = 19.6° was observed and the doublet peak at 23.8°, which was present in native starch, was no longer seen. Hydroxypropylation enhanced the free swelling capacity (FSC) and solubility. Setback and retrogradation of native starch declined after hydroxypropylation. Turbidity of native starch paste and syneresis were higher with storage time. The results also indicate that enzymatic digestibility improved as the MS increased, while the reverse was observed for starch paste turbidity, syneresis, setback and retrogradation. This study presents relevant information that could strategically position D. rotundata starch and its hydroxypropylated derivatives for industrial applications.     

The bone‐protective effect of a Taiwanese yam (Dioscorea alata L. cv. Tainung No. 2) in ovariectomised female BALB/C mice

BACKGROUND: Yam products have been marketed for treating postmenopausal syndromes. This study investigated the effects of Dioscorea alata L. cv. Tainung No. 2 (TNG yam) on the bone density of ovariectomised (OVX) female BALB/c mice and the mechanism whereby TNG yam exerted this effect. Sham and OVX control groups were fed a control diet while remaining OVX mice were randomly allocated into experimental diets, i.e. yam (630 g TNG powder kg^?1), E2 (20 mg 17β‐oestradiol kg^?1), or genistein (2 g genistein kg^?1) diet. After 12 weeks of feeding, the uterine weight, indices of bone mass and caecal short chain fatty acids were determined. RESULTS: Neither a yam nor genistein diet restored the OVX‐induced uterine atrophy as did the E2 diet. The femoral and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) of mice fed the yam diet was greater than those of the sham group, respectively (P < 0.05 vs OVX control), while the lumbar BMD of yam and sham groups were similar (P > 0.05 vs sham). The femoral ash and calcium content in the yam group was significantly greater than that in the OVX control group, respectively (P < 0.05 vs OVX control). The total short chain fatty acid content in the caecum, only enhanced in the yam group, was not correlated with the calcium content of either bone or the plasma calcium level. CONCLUSION: TNG yam prevented loss of BMD and improved bone calcium status without stimulating uterine hypertrophy in OVX BALB/c mice. TNG yam may be beneficial for postmenopausal women for preventing bone loss. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry