Development of Value Added Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) By Saccharomyces Boulardii Fermentation: A Novel Tool for Product Diversification Relevant to Southern USA.

Sweet potato has been a major crop of southern USA due to the presence of ideal sub-tropical weather. North Carolina is the leading producer of sweet potato followed by California Mississippi and Louisiana. Nutritionally sweet potato is high in sugars, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, and other minerals and vitamins particularly A & C. Sweet potato is an important staple food in several countries. Traditionally researchers have focused on improving the yield and quality in developing newer varieties, while little work has been done on developing value added product especially through bioprocessing means. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using controlled fermentation with S. boulardii to enhance the nutritive qualities of sweet potato.  Finely ground sterilized 'Beauregard sweet potato was added to two 1000mL flask with 300mL, inoculated with 10mL of MAY 796, incubated for five days at 30ºC  and analyzed for nutritional profiles. Controlled fermentation has resulted in enhanced protein (62% increase), crude fiber (101% increase), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF). The fermentation has also resulted in enhanced levels of amino acid (51% increase) and fatty acids (93% increase). S. boulardii yeast fermented sweet potato could offer great potential in developing novel animal feeds and probiotic supplements.  Ultimately the value added sweet potato will stimulate the economic returns to sweet potato growing farmers due to the new applications of sweet potato. Compositional analyses of the fermented sweet potato and other beneficial attributes will be discussed.