Evolution of the Physicochemical Characteristics of Cassava Roots

Cassava is an important food product due to the volume of its production and consumption. It is in fact an important staple food in the world particularly in Africa. It is cultivated throughout the Ivorian territory with a predominance in the south. Its strong demand has led some producers to harvest early regardless of the impact of the harvest stage on the physicochemical parameters of cassava roots. The objective of this work was to determine the stage of harvest (maturity) of cassava roots which allows cassava roots to be obtained with good nutritional qualities. Thus the physicochemical characteristics were evaluated at different stages of harvest (11th 12th 13th and 14th month after planting the cuttings) of the cassava roots of the Yacé variety. The highest energy values (389.21 Kcal/100 g of DM) were obtained in the twelfth month of harvest. At this same stage the carbohydrate and starch contents increased respectively by 94.65 g/100 g of DM and of 83.54 g/100 g of DM. Also these cassava roots had a substantial share of minerals and polyphenols with very low levels of hydrocyanic acid and fiber compared to those of the other harvested stages.