Bioscience Methods 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 41-51 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 44 influencing the outcomes, such as the variety of sweet potato and the specific storage method used. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to assess the robustness of the findings by excluding studies with high risk of bias or those with extreme values (Krochmal-Marczak et al., 2020; Richard et al., 2023). 4 Impact of Storage on Sweet Potato Quality 4.1 Water content According to the experimental results of Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in the first 10 days after harvest, sweet potatoes generally experience rapid water loss, which gradually slows down with the extension of storage time (Table 1). Table 1 Dynamic changes in water content of ‘Zheshu13’ at different times (Unit: kg, Jinhua, 2019-2020) Harvest time (Month/Day) Large potatoes (≥200 g) Medium potatoes (50~00 g) Small potatoes (≤50 g) 10 days 20 days 30 days 10 days 20 days 30 days 10 days 20 days 30 days 10/19 15.18 13.66 13.5 15.06 15.28 15.9 12.96 14.04 13.6 10/29 14.26 12.75 12.56 14.12 14.32 14.95 12.03 13.12 12.65 11/8 13.86 12.41 12.08 13.66 13.87 14.46 11.58 12.74 12.14 11/18 13.54 12.13 11.79 13.35 13.54 14.17 11.25 12.42 11.83 4.2 Nutritional quality Storage conditions significantly influence the nutritional quality of sweet potatoes. Short-term cold storage (CS) at 5°C for 14 days has been shown to enhance the nutritional profile by promoting the accumulation of sucrose, chlorogenic acid, and amino acids, which improves sweetness and antioxidant capacity without causing chilling injury (Zhou et al., 2021). Additionally, low-temperature storage can increase the content of essential vitamins such as folate and vitamin B6, although it may reduce ascorbic acid levels (Goyer et al., 2019). The combination of blanching, drying, and refrigeration has also been found to preserve the nutrient content, including beta carotene and phenolic compounds, in sweet potato leaves (Akinoso et al., 2022).Under long-term storage in simple greenhouses of production area, the reducing sugar content of sweet potato first increases and then decreases, while the starch content of sweet potato rapidly decreases and gradually stabilizes (Table 2). Table 2 Changes in reducing sugar and starch content of sweet potato stored in simple greenhouses in production area (Unit: mg/g (FW), Jinhua, 2019-2020) Item October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 Average reducing sugar content* 14.84 22.33 18.44 18.04 Average starch content* 208.07 190.86 163.99 176.88 Note: *: The average content is the average of 5 sweet potato varieties 4.3 Physical quality The physical quality of sweet potatoes, including texture and color, is affected by storage temperature and packaging. For instance, storing sweet potatoes at 5°C, 15°C, and 30°C for 21 days showed significant changes in moisture content, soluble solids content, and textural properties (Sanchez et al., 2021). Packaging materials also play a crucial role; perforated low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP) bags help maintain firmness and reduce weight loss during storage (Sharma et al., 2019). Moreover, microwave-assisted thermal sterilization (MATS) combined with appropriate packaging can help retain the color and texture of sweet potato puree over extended storage periods (Zhang et al., 2019). 4.4 Shelf-life extension and spoilage rates Different storage methods can extend the shelf life of sweet potatoes and reduce spoilage rates. Pit storage has been identified as an effective method, resulting in the least weight loss, sprouting, and spoilage over four months compared to other storage conditions. The use of sodium metabisulphite and citric acid treatments can also extend the shelf life of fresh-cut sweet potatoes by minimizing physicochemical changes and microbial growth, allowing
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