Physiological Responses of Minimally Processed Sweet Potatoes Grown with Increasing Doses of Phosphate Fertilizer

The present work aimed to study oxidative damage and protection, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and the quality of minimally processed colored sweet potatoes cultivated with increments in P₂O₅ fertilization. Sweet potato was cultivated with 0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 kg ha^-1 of P₂O₅. The roots were harvested, and the P content in the roots and leaves was quantified. The roots were minimally processed and kept for 20 days at 5 °C. In general, the roots that were fertilized with P₂O₅ showed a higher content of the analyzed variables. The highest P dosage in the soil increased the P content in roots and leaves and the agro-industrial yield. Roots cultivated with P₂O₅ showed a higher content of hydrogen peroxide, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, yellow flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids, antioxidant capacity by the DPPH method, and higher activity of the enzymes polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase. These results demonstrated the role of phosphorus in protecting against oxidative damage due to the accumulation of bioactive compounds, thus improving the physicochemical quality of minimally processed orange sweet potato.