Effects of different storage temperatures on the quality and shelf life of Malaysian sweet potato (Ipomoea Batatas L.) varieties

•The effects of different storage temperatures on the quality of sweet potatoes were investigated.•Shelf life characteristics of different Malaysian sweet potato varieties were also explored.•The quality and shelf life of sweet potatoes were significantly affected by the different storage temperatures.•The textural properties were highly correlated with the other quality parameters. In this study, we investigated the effects of different storage temperatures on the quality and shelf-life of Malaysian sweet potatoes in terms of moisture content (MC), soluble solids content (SSC), colour values (L*, a*, b*) and textural properties. Samples from the three locally-produced sweet potato varieties in Malaysia namely: Keledek Anggun 3 (V1), Keledek Jingga (V2), and Keledek Kuning (V3) were purchased and stored at 5 °C, 15 °C and 30 °C for a period of 21 d with a relative humidity (RH) range of 80–90%, 70–80% and 50–60%, respectively. A multiple correlation analysis was employed in establishing the relationships between the changes in all the quality parameters (QP). The results showed that the QP of sweet potatoes in all varieties were significantly affected (P < 0.05) by the different storage temperatures applied. The results likewise revealed that the changes in the QP of sweet potatoes during storage vary according to varieties. Moreover, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed obvious variations in the microstructural properties of the samples. Among all the measured QP, the textural properties recorded a high relationship (r> 0.60; *P< 0.05) with the other QP particularly with the flesh colour values L*, a*, and b*. The principal component analysis (PCA) supported the study in discriminating the observed variances of the QP with over 90% explained accuracies. Hence, the study found that the different storage temperatures have a significant effect on the quality and shelf-life of sweet potatoes of different varieties.