Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to analyze the ingredient composition of tuber in water yam (Dioscorea alata) that is used as a staple food crop and vegetable in Myanmar. Especially, the differences in the contents of general nutrients, polyphenol with antioxidation ability, allantoin, allantoic acid, adenosine and free sugars were compared among varieties. The results showed that these ingredients of tuber varied among varieties, along with morphological characteristics. The contents of carbohydrates, lipid, polyphenol and free sugars in the varieties of Myanmar water yam were higher than those in the varieties of Nagaimo (Dioscorea opposita) and Jinenjo (Dioscorea japonica), as reported previously. The water yam varieties in Myanmar showed genetically wide ranges of ingredient contents of tuber. Allantoin content of water yam varieties in Myanmar was lower than that of the varieties in Jinenjo and Tsukuneimo (D. japonica) as reported previously. Adenosine was identified in all the water yam varieties. The although lipid content of the triploid varieties was higher the relation of other ingredient contents to the ploidy level was not clear.
