DETERMINATION OF SOME NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS AND SENSORY CRITERIA OF IGNAME YAM IN BAC GIANG PROVINCE (Dioscorea esculenta)

Igname yams are agricultural products with high economic and nutritional value. Igname yam plants are grown a lot in our country, especially in Bac Giang province. The aim of this study was to the determination of nutritional components and sensory of igname yam in Bac Giang province. Research results have identified water content in igname yam is 69.3 ± 0.2%, total lipid content is 4.2 ± 0.1%, total glucide content is 20.5 ± 0.1%, total protein content was 2.6 ± 0.1%, vitamin B1 was 28.5 ± 0.1mg% and vitamin B2 was 12.3 ± 0.1mg%. Besides, the content of minerals, such as Ca, Mg, Mn, P, K, Na, Zn, Cu, S, and Fe, fluctuates in the range of 1.4 to 34mg%. By the HPLC method, 17 amino acids have been identified in igname yam. Among those, there were 9 non-substituting amino acids, including histidine, arginine, threonine, valine, methionine, lysine, isoleucine, leucine, and phenylalanine. The igname yam meat has an ivory white color, a characteristic aroma, a fatty taste, a spongy and friable structure. These are important scientific bases for selecting igname yam for processing food products.