ABSTRACT
Tropical tuber crops having a significant role in food security, nutrition also climate change adaptation. These crops are essential diet components in many countries. Tropical tuber crops comprise of major and minor (under-exploited) plant species. The edible species include major crops like cassava, sweet potato, taro, yams, Chinese potato, canna, arrowroot and starchy curcuma and aroids. Non-edible medicinal crops include Coleus forskohlii, wild Dioscorea, wild amorphophallus species etc. These nutritionally important tuber crops possess health-promoting components, antioxidants, and pharmacologically active principles. The exploration of these tuber crops is a new area of food processing, that address hitherto unmet nutritional needs and the tropical tuber crops have been bounteous in providing hundreds of diverse natural products. Tropical tubers crops may be used for the preparation of functional products in order to meet the nutritional requirements of the community. The main aim of this chapter is to focus on the potential health benefits of tropical tuber crops and their utility for the development of functional food products.
