Digestibility and metabolism of flour from two yam species (D. Dumetorum and D. Rotundata) in school age children

The digestibility and metabolism in school age children of diets from two yam species (D. dumetorum and D. rotundata) are compared. Ten boys aged 65 to 84 months, with heights and weights close to NCHS reference values, were fed meals deriving half of their protein and almost all of their starch from either of the two yam species. After 6 days of adaptation, food intake, stool and urine were collected for 4 days and analysed. Feeding diet based on D. dumetorum resulted in higher apparent protein digestibility, net protein retention and net protein utilisation of 63.5, 46.2 and 29.8, respectively, compared to 56.1, 36.1 and 20.6 for D. rotundata‐based diet.