Potato Mash Research Articles

The texture of potato mashes is impacted by blanching induced changes in their extracellular starch fractions

The texture of potato mash significantly influences consumer satisfaction. We here investigated the impact of blanching and different methods thereof on the texture and extractable extracellular fractions (EEFs) of potato mash when extracted with water or with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to seek determining factors of potato mash texture. Mashes prepared from potatoes blanched in 2.04 mM CaCl2 (CaB-M) exhibited hardness (24.9 N) and stickiness (1.0 N·s) readings intermediate to those from potatoes that were not blanched (NB-M, 19.2 N and 1.2 N·s), or blanched in deionized water (WaB-M, 30.5 N and 0.6 N·s), which aligned with their levels of intact cells. Starch was the main constituent (57.2 % – 64.4 %, w/w) in all EEFs and more starch was present in (1) NB-M and (2) the DMSO extracts. The chain length distributions of DMSO-extracted extracellular starch (DEES) revealed that the amylopectin content increased in the order WaB-M (46.3 %), CaB-M (55.1 %), and NB-M (76.6 %), which was attributed to more intracellular amylopectin being released to the extracellular phase of mashes. The relative contents of shorter chain amylose (degree of polymerization 110–1000) and the DEES yield were significantly correlated to the hardness while the yield of DEEFs was positively correlated with the stickiness.

Effects of component ratios on the properties of sweet potato-oat composite dough and the quality of its steamed cake.

To enhance the value proposition of sweet potato and oat while broadening their applicability in further processing, this study systematically investigated the impact of oat flour incorporation ratios (5%-25% of sweet potato dry weight) on the quality attributes of sweet potato-oat composite dough and its resulting steamed cake products. The results showed that the addition of oat flour could promote the rheological, water retention, and thermomechanical properties of the composite dough and improve the internal microstructure, specific volume, texture, and other processing properties of the steamed cake products. The rheology, water retention, and protein stability of the dough were maximized when the proportion of oat flour was 25%. The textural properties of steamed cakes, hardness, elasticity, cohesion, adhesion, chewiness, and recovery significantly increased (p<0.05) and viscosity significantly decreased (p<0.05) with the addition of oat flour. It is noteworthy that thermodynamic properties, internal structure of the dough, and air holding capacity, which are critical for processing, showed the best results at 20% oat flour addition. Therefore, the addition of 20%-25% oats is recommended to produce composite doughs with optimal quality and processing characteristics. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: As living standards improve, traditional cereals may no longer able to meet people's health needs. Therefore, there is an urgent consumer demand for nutritious, tasty alternatives to staple foods. In this study, oat flour and sweet potato mash were mixed to make sweet potato-oat cake, and the effect of ingredient ratio on the performance and quality of composite dough containing sweet potato-oat flour was analyzed, thus proposing an innovative approach to the research, development, and industrial production of sweet potato and oat food products.

Development of Purple Sweet Potato-Based Ice Cream Product

The popularity of ice cream is increasing in tropical countries such as in Thailand. Purple sweet has high anthocyanin content which provides an attractive purple appearance for ice cream consumption. The purposes of this study were to determine the effects of the ratio of purple sweet potato mash and water, and concentration of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a stabilizer on the properties of ice cream. The different ratios of purple sweet potato mash and water at 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40 were investigated. The results showed that the ratios of purple sweet potato mash and water had a significant effect (p≤0.05) on physical properties. The overrun, a* and b* values, and melting rate decreased with an increase in purple sweet potato mash. There was a significant (p≤0.05) difference in sensory characteristics scores of appearance, taste, texture, and overall acceptance. The scores decreased with an increase in purple sweet potato mash. Therefore, the selected ratio was 40:60 between purple sweet potato mash and water. In another study, the concentration of CMC at 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4% of total ingredients on the properties of ice cream was observed. The results demonstrated that overrun and melting rates decreased with an increase in CMC. In addition, an increase in CMC showed significantly (p≤0.05) superior taste and texture scores. Therefore, the selected condition for product development of purple sweet potato-based ice cream was the ratio of purple sweet potato mash and water at 40:60 and 0.4%CMC.

Modulation in Techno-Functional, Textural Properties, In Vitro Starch Digestibility and Macromolecular-Structural Interactions of Pasta with Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

The replacement of semolina with potato flour (PF) and potato mash (PM) at different levels was assessed for its effects on pasta quality. The results showed that the addition of PF and PM increased the pasting viscosity of the blends; in addition, PF enhanced the functional properties, while PM reduced them. The minimum cooking time decreased with PF and PM, while the PF pasta exhibited a higher cooking loss (5.02 to 10.44%) than the PM pasta, which exhibited a lower cooking loss. The pasta with PF and PM showed an increase in the total phenolic and flavonoid content, with reduced in vitro digestibility as confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The PF pasta exhibited lower lightness and higher yellowness than the PM pasta, and its firmness and toughness also modulated owing to the complex interaction between potato starches and the gluten protein matrix, as evident from scanning electron microscopy. Sensory data revealed that pasta containing 30% PF and 16% PM was highly acceptable.

Sunlight active TiO2-Bi2WO6 photocatalyst pretreatment of biomass for simultaneous hydrolysis and saccharification in bioethanol production

In this work we examine photocatalysis as an alternative to the conventional enzymatic hydrolysis and liquefaction in the upstream processing of biomass for bioethanol production. A highly efficient visible light active TiO2-Bi2WO6photocatalyst having a band gap of 2.7 eV was used to deconstruct potato mash and casuarina sawdust. Thebiomass was pretreated with thephotocatalyst under sunlight for 5 h and thesawdust was subjected toprolonged treatmentsunder a 65 W fluorescent light source. Photocatalytically deconstructed biomass was subjected to fermentation by yeast. Control biomass was subjected to standard liquefaction byα amylasefollowed by yeast fermentation. Analysis of photocatalytic deconstructed products by ESI-MS reveals increasing glucose accumulation up to two hours followed by decrease upon prolonged pretreatment, suggesting possible cleavageof evolving glucose moieties. Increased concentration of lower carbonfragments in the products further corroborates this finding. HPLC analysis of fermentation products show ethanol yield on samples subjected to photocatalysis as upstream processing is comparable to that of standard enzymatic fermentation. It is thus demonstrated that visible light active photocatalysis of biomass upstream of the fermentation process can be used in place of enzymatic or chemical hydrolysis inethanol production which also constitute an environmentally benign approach.

Characterisation of industrial potato waste for suitability in food applications

SummaryThe present study aimed at exploring different properties of industrial potato waste for their possible utilisation in various food formulations as a functional ingredient. Potato waste (potato peel and mash) was processed into powders and studied for various biochemical, technological, and morphological characteristics. Analysis of potato mash powder exhibited high techno‐functional potential as water absorption capacity (4.11 g/g) and swelling capacity (4.84 cm3/g) while peel powder showed high crude fibre (13.05%), protein (13.15%), and mineral content along with bio‐functional attributes (834.24 mg GAE/100 g total phenolics and 247.18 mg QE/100 g flavonoids) which were further verified using HPLC and FTIR analysis. Colour coordinates showed darker colour of potato peel compared to mash powder. SEM micrographs of PMP revealed the presence of native starch granules while the presence of cellulose structure was confirmed in peel powder. Storage studies of waste powders revealed shelf stability of 6 months, indicating their high potential for valorisation.

Nutritional composition, techno-functionality, in-vitro starch digestibility, structural characteristics and storage stability of sweet potato flour and mash supplemented specialty pasta

Specialty pasta was prepared by incorporating sweet potato flour (20–40%) and mash (8–24%) and evaluated for its nutritional composition, bioactive constituents, pasting profile, functional properties, cooking quality, in-vitro starch digestibility and structural characteristics. Incorporation of sweet potato flour (20–40%) and mash enhanced the pasting properties. Low in-vitro starch digestibility was observed for sweet potato mash pasta. The incorporation of sweet potato flour and mash improved the functional properties of pasta. Addition of sweet potato flour resulted in maximum increase in total phenols (2.52–2.76 GAE mg/g) and flavonoids (19.37–24.48 QE mg/100g) with consequential increase in the β-carotene content (2.37–2.58 mg/100g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (26.60–29.56%). Supplementation of 30% flour and 16% mash was highly acceptable for the formulation of specialty pasta. FTIR analysis revealed structural changes and showed the presence of carbonyl compounds in the specialty pasta. Supplemented pasta also maintained high acceptability during the storage period of 5 months.

Techno and bio functional characterization of industrial potato waste for formulation of phytonutrients rich snack product

Present study aimed at utilizing potato industry waste (potato peel and mash) to improve the phytonutritional profile of chickpea flour-based snack product gathiya. Potato waste was converted into powders and studied for their respective biochemical and functional properties. Characterization of potato peel powder showed high crude fiber (13.05%), protein (13.15%), and bio-functional properties (834.24 mg GAE/g total phenols and 247.18 mg QE/mg total flavonoids) while mash powder exhibited high techno-functional potential as water (4.11 g/g) and oil absorption capacity (1.70 g/g). Mash and peel powders were incorporated in chickpea flour at different concentrations for formulation of snack. Compared to control, addition of these powders considerably (p < 0.05) improved the hardness (54% decrease), minerals (21% increase) and fiber content (71.7% increase) and phenolic compounds (54.4% increase) as confirmed using FTIR and HPLC analysis. Based on desirable sensory attributes, gathiya prepared with addition of 5% potato peel powder and 20% potato mash powder was selected for product development and shelf-life studies. All bioactive constituents decreased (p < 0.05) during storage while an increase in antioxidant activity was observed in stored product. Due to high antioxidant potential of potato peels, lower lipid oxidation values were noticed for potato waste enriched snack throughout the storage and the product was shelf stable at room temperature for six months without impacting quality. The utilization of potato waste in prepared product can provide dual benefit of producing healthy phytonutrients rich snack product along with solving the problem of solid waste dispersal of potato processing industry.

Pre-cut NaCl solution treatment effectively inhibited the browning of fresh-cut potato by influencing polyphenol oxidase activity and several free amino acids contents

Enzymatic browning is an important issue affecting the quality and shelf life of fresh-cut potato. Previous research showed post-cut sodium chloride (NaCl) dipping treatment doesn’t have anti-browning effect on fresh-cut potato. In this research, the influence of pre-cut NaCl solution treatment on browning, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and amino acids contents in fresh-cut potato was investigated. The results showed that pre-cut NaCl solution treatment at 5 % for 3 h improved the overall visual quality, reduced browning and surface dehydration and extended shelf-life by 3−4 d at 5 °C. The PPO activity in pre-cut NaCl treated potato tubers and slices was lower than that in control and water treated ones. Compared with control, the contents of glutamic acid and proline in NaCl treated potato were increased, whereas tyrosine and arginine decreased. Exogenous differential compensation of glutamic acid reduced the browning of control potato mash, while the compensation of tyrosine and arginine as well as their mixture aggravated the browning of pre-cut NaCl treated potato mash. The compensation of proline showed no influence on the browning of control potato mash, whereas pre-cut proline solution treatment inhibited the browning of fresh-cut potato. This research showed that pre-cut NaCl solution treatment can effectively inhibit the browning of fresh-cut potato by influencing polyphenol oxidase activity and several free amino acids contents, which provides a new way to prevent the browning of fresh-cut potato and elucidates the anti-browning mechanism of pre-cut NaCl treatment.

A High‐Performance Symmetric Supercapacitor from Porous Activated Carbon under Compression

The realization of biomass‐derived supercapacitors of high performance is of practical importance for the manufacturing of supercapacitors from green and renewable sources. Herein, the feasibility of constructing high‐performance supercapacitors from potato‐derived activated carbon (AC) is demonstrated. The potato‐derived AC is produced from potato mash through hydrothermal treatment and high‐temperature activation with KOH as agent. The supercapacitors with aqueous electrolyte of 6 m KOH and a mass loading of 5 mg per electrode achieve a specific gravimetric capacitance of 333.7 F g−1 per electrode and a specific energy of 11.75 W h g−1 at a specific power of 197.6 W kg−1 at a current density of 0.4 A g−1 under a nominal compressive stress of 7.96 MPa. The supercapacitors with a mass loading of 10 mg per electrode achieve the maximum specific gravimetric capacitance of 340.6 F g−1 and a specific energy of 11.75 W h g−1 at a specific power of 194.2 W kg−1 at a current density of 0.4 A g−1 under a nominal compressive stress of 7.96 MPa. Increasing the compaction of electrode materials under compressive stress has the potential to increase the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors.

Electrochemical performance of potato-derived activated carbon: Effect of compressive stress

The progress in smart electronics and photonics has imposed a great need for the development of portable, flexible devices and systems for energy storage from sustainable and eco-friendly resources. In this work, we synthesize porous activated carbon (AC) from potato mash via hydrothermal process and H2O-steam activation and construct symmetrical supercapacitors with the potato-derived ACs as electrode material and 6 M KOH aqueous solution as electrolyte. The effects of the mass loading of the electrode material and compressive stress in a range of 1.69~6.92 MPa on the electrochemical performance of the supercapacitors are investigated. The experimental results reveal that increasing the compressive stress increases the specific capacitance of the supercapacitors and the diffusivity for ionic migration in the supercapacitors and causes the decreases of the IR drop, the series resistance and the intrinsic resistance. The method used in this work provides a feasible technique to increase the energy storage in supercapacitors.

Harvest maturity affects the browning of fresh-cut potatoes by influencing contents of amino acids

Abstract Browning is the major issue affecting the quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut potatoes. In this paper, in order to study the influences of maturity on browning and its mechanism, potatoes were harvested at three different stages, and the browning degrees, related physiological and biochemical properties of potatoes were evaluated. The results showed that with the increased maturity, potatoes are more prone to browning. However, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities of late harvested potatoes were lower than early and middle harvested ones, and main PPO genes expressed significantly higher in early harvested potatoes than in middle and late harvested ones. Generally, the antioxidant capacity was enhanced with the increase of maturity, which was not in line with more browning of late harvested potato. The content of total free amino acids (FAAs) increased significantly in late harvested potatoes, and adding the differential contents of total FAAs aggravated the mash browning of early harvested potato. Accumulation of each FAA also increased significantly with the development stage from middle to late harvest date. Addition of differential amino acids showed that isoleucine and other eleven amino acids can inhibit the browning of potato mash, but serine, lysine and tyrosine, especially tyrosine, promoted the browning degree significantly. Results demonstrated that harvest maturity affects the browning of fresh-cut potatoes by influencing the accumulation of FAAs especially tyrosine, not by PPO activity and antioxidant capacity. This research comprehensively elucidated why the potatoes with different maturities have different browning degrees.

Volatile and nonvolatile taste compounds and their correlation with umami and flavor characteristics of chicken nuggets added with milkfat and potato mash

This study investigated the chemical compounds and umami characteristics of chicken nuggets using spent meat (SM) enriched with milkfat (MF) and potato mash (PM). Four different spent nuggets (SNs) i.e. T1 (75% SM, 5% MF), T2 (70% SM, 8% MF, 2% PM), T3 (65% SM, 11% MF, 4% PM), and T4 (60% SM, 14% MF, 6% PM) were developed and compared with control using broiler chicken muscles (without MF and PM). Most abundant volatiles were trimethyldodecane, camphene, 5-ethyl-2,2,3-trimethylheptane, 3,6-dimethylundecane, 2,2,4-trimethylheptane, and α-pinene, and their intensities were highest for T2. Umami-taste characteristics were better explained by partial least squares regression (PLS-R) than other taste variables assessed by electronic tongue. T2 and T3 had higher 5′-nucleotides (GMP, AMP, ADP) and umami-taste amino acids (aspartic and glutamic acids) resulting in increased equivalent umami concentration than the control, T1, and T4. This study may be useful for the egg industries to utilize spent hens.

A novel aspartic protease inhibitor inhibits the enzymatic browning of potatoes

• StASPI expressed highly in browning-less potato than in browning-susceptible potato. • Both exogenous Pepstatin A and overexpressed -StASPI inhibited potato browning. • Overexpressed StASPI reduced protease activity and contents of free amino acids. • Overexpressed StASPI decreased PPO activity. • Overexpressed StASPI enhanced SOD and CAT activity, and reduced ROS contents. Enzymatic browning greatly affects the quality of fresh-cut potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.). The transcript level of a novel aspartic protease inhibitor gene, StASPI , was found significantly higher in browning-less potatoes than in browning-susceptible potatoes, and exogenous aspartic protease inhibitor Pepstatin A inhibited the browning of potato pulp. Therefore, we speculated that StASPI plays important roles in browning-resistance of potatoes. The effects of overexpressed- StASPI on browning, total free amino acids (FAAs), antioxidant enzyme activity and ROS accumulation in potatoes were investigated in this study. Results showed that overexpression of StASPI effectively reduced enzymatic browning after cutting, significantly decreased protease activity, and reduced the accumulation of total FAAs in potatoes. Browning degrees of transgenic potato mash were increased by supplementing exogenous FAAs, but the degrees were still significantly lower than that of wild-type (WT) mash. Furthermore, overexpression of StASPI decreased PPO activity, enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT, and reduced H 2 O 2 and O 2 ˙ ― contents. These results indicated that overexpression of StASPI inhibited the enzymatic browning of potatoes, decreasing FAAs accumulation, reducing PPO activity, and enhancing activity of antioxidant enzymes. This study provides a new perspective on the strategies for inhibiting enzymatic browning of potatoes.

Xanthosine is a novel anti-browning compound in potato identified by widely targeted metabolomic analysis and in vitro test

Abstract Enzymatic browning is the main quality issue of fresh-cut potato. In this study, a widely targeted metabolomics approach was performed to investigate the response of metabolites to pre-cutting short-term warming (SW, an anti-browning treatment) by keeping potatoes at 25 ℃ for 12 h and screen the endogenous anti-browning compounds. Metabolomics analysis suggested that in SW treated potato, 13 metabolites were significantly up-regulated while six metabolites were down-regulated with multivariate variable importance in projection (VIP) and fold change values of ≥ 1 and ≥ 2, respectively. Among up-regulated compounds, xanthosine, p-coumaric acid and xanthine were selected for anti-browning function test and the browning inhibition effects of xanthosine and p-coumaric acid was confirmed in vitro test. Xanthosine at concentrations of 50, 500, and 5000 mg L–1 significantly reduced the discoloration of potato mash. At concentration of 5000 mg L–1, xanthosine was able to completely prevent the discoloration of potato mash with no browning and the increase in discoloration degree of potato mash with moderate browning. Dipping in 1 mg L–1 xanthosine solution for 5 min also reduced the browning of potato slices. Xanthosine addition significantly reduced the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities of potato. Xanthosine could be preventing the development of brown products by reducing the activities of oxidative enzymes. This is the first report that xanthosine can inhibit enzymatic browning in potato. Our results have identified xanthosine as a novel and effective anti-browning compound for fresh-cut potato.

Evaluation of chicken nugget properties using spent hen meat added with milk fat and potato mash at different levels.

This study was aimed to develop chicken nuggets using spent hen meat (SHM) added with milk fat (MF) and potato mash (PM) at different levels. Four different spent hen nuggets (SHNs) i.e. T1 (75% SHM with 5% MF), T2 (70% SHM with 8% MF and 2% PM), T3 (65% SHM with 11% MF and 4% PM), and T4 (60% SHM with 14% MF and 6% PM) were formulated and compared with the control, using broiler chicken meat without MF and PM. The control, T1, and T2 were not significantly different with respect to protein and fat contents. The emulsion stability (92.2%), frying yield (84.1%), hardness (19.2N) and chewiness (11.4N) of T2 were similar to the control. The incorporation of MF and PM resulted in increased taste and flavor scores for SHN. The overall acceptability score was same for the control and T2. The conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance results showed that the addition of MF at 8 to 10% did not have an effect on the oxidative stability of SHN during storage. MF-incorporated SHN may be a regular chicken nugget for all consumers due to improved texture and sensory quality with similar fat content to the control.

A Study on The Utilization of Purple Sweet Potato (Ipomea batatas L) for Ice Cream as Antioxidants

The purposes of this study were to determine overrun, water content, anthocyanin and antioxidant content, and to find out the best formulations. The design used was completely randomized design (CRD) with a unidirectional pattern consisting of 5 treatments with 4 replications, while the treatment factor was the disticntion between ratio of sweet potato mash and water, as follows: P1: 50%: 50%; P2`: 60%: 40%; P3: (70%: 30%); P4: (80%:20%); P5: 90%: 10%. The observed variables were the content of water, overrun, anthocyanin and antioxidant activity. The results showed that the treatment had a significant effect (P &lt;0.05) on the average water content, overrun and anthocyanin activity. The treatment did not have a significant effect (P&gt; 0.05) on the average antioxidant activity. In conclusion : the ratio of purple sweet potato mash had a significant effect (P &lt;0.05) on water content, overrun and anthocyanin, but it did not influence significantly (P&gt; 0.05) on the antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the best ratio of water and purple sweet potato mash is 2:8 to produce a standard water content and overrun, anthocyanin levels and high antioxidant activity.

Cysteine Protease Inhibitors Reduce Enzymatic Browning of Potato by Lowering the Accumulation of Free Amino Acids.

Enzymatic browning is a major issue affecting the quality of processed potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). To understand the molecular mechanism of browning, transcriptional analyses were performed by employing potatoes that differed in browning. Coexpression analysis indicated that 9 out of 15 upregulated genes in browning-less groups encoded for potato protease inhibitors (StPIs). In addition, gene otology analysis showed that the enriched terms were mainly involved in protease inhibitors. Overexpression of cysteine StPI 143 and StPI 146 individually reduced browning and lowered protease activities and tyrosine and total free amino acid (FAA) contents, but they could not decrease polyphenol oxidase activity. Moreover, supplementing exogenous tyrosine or total FAAs into transgenic potato mash to wild-type amounts promoted mash browning, browning with total FAAs, more than with tyrosine, resembling wild-type levels. These results implied that cysteine StPIs reduced browning via lowering the accumulation of FAAs in addition to tyrosine. Our findings have enriched the knowledge about the roles and mechanisms of protease inhibitors in regulating enzymatic browning of potato, which provide new ways for controlling potato browning.

Adaptive evolution and selection of stress-resistant Saccharomyces cerevisiae for very high-gravity bioethanol fermentation

Abstract Background In industrial yeasts, selection and breeding for resistance to multiple stresses is a focus of current research. The objective of this study was to investigate the tolerance to multiple stresses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae obtained through an adaptive laboratory evolution strategy involving a repeated liquid nitrogen freeze–thaw process coupled with multi-stress shock selection. We also assessed the related resistance mechanisms and very high-gravity (VHG) bioethanol production of this strain. Results Elite S. cerevisiae strain YF10-5, exhibiting improved VHG fermentation capacity and stress resistance to osmotic pressure and ethanol, was isolated following ten consecutive rounds of liquid nitrogen freeze–thaw treatment followed by plate screening under osmotic and ethanol stress. The ethanol yield of YF10-5 was 16% higher than that of the parent strain during 35% (w/v) glucose fermentation. Furthermore, there was upregulation of three genes (HSP26, HSP30, and HSP104) encoding heat-shock proteins involved in the stress response, one gene (TPS1) involved in the synthesis of trehalose, and three genes (ADH1, HXK1, and PFK1) involved in ethanol metabolism and intracellular trehalose accumulation in YF10-5 yeast cells, indicating increased stress tolerance and fermentative capacity. YF10-5 also showed excellent fermentation performance during the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of VHG sweet potato mash, producing 13.40% (w/v) ethanol, which corresponded to 93.95% of the theoretical ethanol yield. Conclusions A multiple-stress-tolerant yeast clone was obtained using adaptive evolution by a freeze–thaw method coupled with stress shock selection. The selected robust yeast strain exhibits potential for bioethanol production through VHG fermentation. How to cite: Zhang Q, Jin Y, Fang Y, et al. Adaptive evolution and selection of stress-resistant Saccharomyces cerevisiae for very high gravity bioethanol fermentation. Electron J Biotechnol 2019;41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2019.06.003

A SIMPLE EQUATION FOR TOTAL REDUCING SUGARS (TRS) ESTIMATION ON SWEET POTATO AND ETHANOL YIELD POTENTIAL

ABSTRACT Sweet potato is an attractive feedstock for ethanol production due to its high starch content and favorable agronomic characteristics. This paper proposes a simple equation to estimate the total reducing sugars (including glucose from starch) in sweet potatoes based on their moisture content (low cost and simple measurement). It allows the calculation of the ethanol production potential of a given sweet potato mash. According to the equation, the ethanol potential increases non-linearly with increasing concentrations of sweet potato mash in the fermenting medium (w/v), reaching a constant value for high concentrations (22 % of ethanol to 10 kg: L of a sweet potato with a moisture content of 66 %). Additionally, the ethanol yield potential is very sensitive to the sweet potato moisture, increasing linearly when the moisture decreases. We emphasize that the relations proposed in this paper can be used by other researchers, who can apply them to their specific cases.