Bioactive constituents and shelf-life of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) leaves

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the green biomass’ of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) quality, through quantitative analysis of microelements, colour characteristics, and UHPLC-MS screening of bioactive constituents. The shelf life examination included sealed raw sweet potato leaves in plastic packs were stored at 6°C and 12°C and the microbiological characteristics were monitored for 2 weeks, through enumeration of mesophilic total plate count, total fungi count, Enterobacteriaceae and mesophilic aerobic spores. We found, that the sweet potato leaves can be considered as the source of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus among the minerals, of which calcium is the most abundant. We identified 17 types of amino acids, 7 vitamins, mainly vitamins belonging to the Vitamin B family. Furthermore, it contained carboxylic acids, flavonoids, polyphenols and aromatic compounds. The sweet potato leaves stored at 6°C was of satisfactory microbiological quality on day 14. Our data suggest that the sweet potato leaves could be a valuable source for healthy nutrition.