Nutritional, phytochemical and cytotoxicity analyses of air potato Dioscorea bulbifera L.bulbils

Air potato Dioscorea bulbifera L. is a crop that robustly grows and voluminously fruits but less utilized and adopted for consumption and cultivation. This investigation focused on the determination of the nutritional and phytochemical content and cytotoxicity of air potato D. Bulbifera L. bulbils from Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino. Analyses revealed that the bulbils contained moisture of 17.52-26.84%, ash of 0.737-7.28g/100g, lipids of 0.1593-0.2032g/100g, the crude fiber of 0.29-2.7942, the protein of 1.0 mg/ml, and total carbohydrates of 0.8189-0.8721g/100g sample. These primary metabolites are essential for plant growth, development, defense against diseases, and stress. These nutrients are vital for human nutrition and wellness as well. The presence of secondary metabolites such as anthraquinones, anthrones, coumarins, essential oils, fatty acids, flavonoids, phenols, steroids, triterpenes, and tannins were also revealed in the phytochemical screening. These secondary metabolites are distinct characteristics of plants which when properly extracted can be a source of materials for breakthroughs in food development, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. The bulbils were also found to be nontoxic. Thus, safe to be eaten. Geographical and environmental awareness, proper preparation and cooking management are must considerations to ensure its safety and economic value. With these capacities discovered, undeniably air potato is a cheap but rich source of material for food and medicine. These results are baseline data for bulbils found in the locality to be adopted to maximize the crop's produce for food processing, development, income generation, and cultivation.