Taro Roots: An Underexploited Root Crop. 2023

Md Jannatul Ferdaus, and Ezzine Chukwu-Munsen, and Aline Foguel, and Roberta Claro da Silva
Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a root crop that remains largely underutilized and undervalued despite its abundance and affordability. In comparison to other root vegetables, such as potatoes, yams, carrots, and cassava, taro stands out as a plentiful and low-cost option. As global hunger increases, particularly in Africa, it becomes essential to address food insecurity by maximizing the potential of existing food resources, including taro, and developing improved food products derived from it. Taro possesses a wealth of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, thereby making it a valuable nutritional source. Additionally, while not a significant protein source, taro exhibits higher protein content than many other root crops. Consequently, utilizing taro to create food products, such as plant-based milk alternatives, frozen desserts, and yogurt substitutes, could play a crucial role in raising awareness and increasing taro production. Unfortunately, taro has been stigmatized in various cultures, which has led to its neglect as a food crop. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the substantial potential of taro as an economical source of dietary energy by exploring the rich fiber, potassium, vitamin C, protein, and other micronutrient content of taro, and providing a foundation for the formulation of novel food products. Furthermore, this paper assesses the nutritional benefits of taro, its current utilization, and its antinutritional properties. It emphasizes the need for further research to explore the various applications of taro and improve on-farm processing conditions for industrial purposes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008903 Minerals Native, inorganic or fossilized organic substances having a definite chemical composition and formed by inorganic reactions. They may occur as individual crystals or may be disseminated in some other mineral or rock. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed; McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Mineral
D014815 Vitamins Organic substances that are required in small amounts for maintenance and growth, but which cannot be manufactured by the human body. Vitamin
D018556 Crops, Agricultural Cultivated plants or agricultural produce such as grain, vegetables, or fruit. (From American Heritage Dictionary, 1982) Agricultural Crops,Agricultural Crop
D018977 Micronutrients Essential dietary elements or organic compounds that are required in only small quantities for normal physiologic processes to occur. Micronutrient
D031060 Colocasia A plant genus of the family ARACEAE. Members contain acrid calcium oxalate and LECTINS. Polynesians prepare the root into poi. Common names of Taro and Coco Yam (Cocoyam) may be confused with other ARACEAE; XANTHOSOMA; or with common yam (DIOSCOREA). Dasheen,Taro,Colocasias,Dasheens,Taros

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