Nutritional Quality of Sweetpotato Greens from Greenhouse Plants

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas(L.) Lam.) is a candidate root crop for production in the Advanced Life Support System (ALSS) program of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA). To increase the edible plant portion, the use of young leaves and petioles from sweetpotato grown by the nutrient film technique (NFT) as a green or leafy vegetable for ALSS is promoted. This study was conducted to determine the nutritional quality of sweetpotato greens from plants grown by NFT. Nutrient concentrations in greens from the same cultivars (Georgia Jet, Jewel, and TU-82-155) grown in greenhouse beds were also obtained for comparison. Raw greens from hydroponic and bed plants were analyzed for dry matter, protein, ash, total dietary fiber, fat, minerals (Ca, Fe, K, Na, Mg, Zn), vitamins (carotene, ascorbic acid, thiamine), oxalic and tannic acids, and chymotrypsin and trypsin inhibitors. Differences in the nutrient and antinutrient concentrations were observed in the three cultivars due to variety and production method.