Science and Education Publishing Journal of Food and Nutrition Research 2333-1240 4 10 2016 9 15 Characterization and Classification of the Provitamin A carotenoids of Deep Yellow-fleshed Bitter Yam (Dioscorea dumetorum) Varieties 640 645 EN Alamu E Oladeji Maziya-Dixon Bussie International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria Ferede-Menkir Roman Popoola Ibironke Asiedu Robert Gondwe Therese JFNR20164102 10.12691/jfnr-4-10-2 2016 4 26 2016 6 28 2016 9 13 Twenty-two genotypes of deep yellow fleshed D. dumetorum were analysed for carotenoids using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and for similarities in their provitamin A characteristics using Cluster Analysis (CA). The contribution of each carotenoid to provitamin A content was investigated through correlation and regression analysis. Seven of the genotypes fell within the low provitamin A cluster with values from 2.26 µg g-1 to 7.74 µg g-1. Twelve genotypes were in the intermediate cluster with values between 8.56 µg g-1 and 11.20 µg g-1. Three genotypes were within the high cluster with values between 10.13 µg g-1 and 14.00 µg g-1. Trans-β-carotene-5,8 epoxide was a significant predictor (β1 = 0.773, p < 0.005) of provitamin A content of the D. dumetorum while trans-β-carotene was not a significant predictor (β2 = 0.593, p > 0.05).