Sweet potato roots: Unrevealing an old food as a source of health promoting bioactive compounds - A review

Background: Sweet potato (SP) roots play an old and important role in food culture worldwide, although only in recent years this food has been research focus as a source of bioactive compounds. Scope and approach: This review provides an update and discusses available literature concerning bioactive compounds naturally present in SP roots and their potential beneficial effects on human health. Available literature reveals that, in addition to the valuable nutritional composition, SP roots contain a variety of constituents capable of promoting health and preventing lifestyle-related diseases. Functionalities of polyphenols, carotenoids, polysaccharides, dietary fiber and proteins/peptides commonly found in SP roots have been confirmed in in vitro and in vivo investigations, which include: antioxidant, prebiotic, anti-hypertensive and anti proliferative effects. Several SP varieties can be found, including purple, orange, white and yellow-fleshed SP, which differ in amounts of nutrients and bioactive compounds, and, consequently, in their ability to exert beneficial effects to consumers. Key findings and conclusions: SP roots should be considered a healthy food option for use in different domestic meal preparations as well as for use by food industry as a functional ingredient for formulation of added-value food products.