Effect of Storage Period and Variety on the Phytochemical Properties of Stored Cocoyam-Based Products

The effects of storage life and variety on the phytochemical properties of stored cocoyam-based products were studied. A-5 kg of corms was sorted, cleaned, and cooked for three hours. After cooling down, they were peeled and sliced with a sharp kitchen knife into tiny pieces, measuring an average of 2.0 by 1.5 cm. The sample was dried in the oven at 55 °C for 6 hours and milled using a mechanical blender.  A-300 grams of cocoyam leaves were harvested, sorted, cleaned, and the sample was dried in the oven at 55 °C for 6 hours and milled using a mechanical blender. The samples were kept apart in plastic containers for 0, 1, 2, and 3 months. With SPSS version 23, the collected data were statistically examined. Fisher's Least Significant Differences was used to separate the means at p ≤ 0.05. After three months in storage, the following were the phytochemical characteristics of achicha (mg/100g): alkaloid (1.24, 1.19, 1.38); tannin (0.67, 0.71, 0.75); saponin (1.27, 1.35, 1.43); flavonoid (0.39, 0.34, 0.46); polyphenol (1.27, 1.25, 1.31); oxalate (2.56, 2.27, 2.67); and phytates (1.66, 1.42, 1.46) for edeofe, cocoindia, and anampu, respectively. After three months of storage, the phytochemical characteristics of mpoto (mg/100g) were as follows: alkaloid (1.62, 1.52, 1.72); tannin (1.74, 2.17, 1.91); saponin (1.72, 1.79, 1.67); flavonoid (0.60, 0.74, 0.66); polyphenol (1.48, 1.53, 1.38); oxalate (1.66, 1.60, 1.49); and phytates (1.75, 1.71, 1.63) for edeofe, cocoindia, and anampu, separately. The cocoyam corms and leaves may be helpful in food preparation and the treatment of certain chronic diseases, given the significant concentrations of health-promoting phytochemicals found in processed cocoyam achicha and mpoto samples