## 3 Results
### Effect of Treatments on the Cultivable Microbiota of Sweet Potato Samples  
As demonstrated in Tables 2 and 3 and Figure 3, in the case of the Covington variety, all treatments were effective for the microbial groups that were tested, as the number of cells decreased in almost all cases in comparison to the control sample. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant effect of treatments (F(4;20) = 52.318; \(p<0.001\)) on total aerobic, total anaerobic, and spore-forming bacterial counts. Storage time also had a significant impact (F(1;20) = 97.943; \(p<0.001\)), with a notable interaction between treatment and storage duration (F(4;40) = 24.904; \(p<0.001\)). In the case of Bonita, the effect of the compounds used for treatment was not as evident, as the treatments did not always result in changes in the microbial groups tested. The statistical data support this, showing a significant treatment effect (F(4;20) = 105.906; \(p<0.001\)), whereas storage time alone had no significant influence (F(1;20) = 2.691; \(p=0.117\)). However, the interaction between treatment and storage time (F(4;40) = 14.834; \(p<0.001\)) regarding the total microbial count was significant. Further analysis revealed significant trends in lactobacilli counts. In Bonita, treatment (F(4;20) = 27.591; \(p<0.001\)), storage time (F(1;20) = 54.456; \(p<0.001\)), and their interaction (F(4;40) = 14.340; \(p<0.001\)) were all significant. Similar patterns were observed in Covington, where treatment (F(4;20) = 11.158; \(p<0.001\)), storage time (F(1;20) = 315.315; \(p<0.001\)), and their interaction (F(4;40) = 24.904; \(p<0.001\)) significantly influenced microbial levels. Lactococci counts followed a comparable trend, with Bonita exhibiting significant effects due to the treatment (F(4;20) = 50.903; \(p<0.001\)), storage time (F(1;20) = 32.906; \(p<0.001\)), and interaction (F(4;40) = 24.839; \(p<0.001\)). Covington also demonstrated statistical significance in treatment (F(4;20) = 36.229; \(p<0.001\)), storage time (F(1;20) = 540.340; \(p<0.001\)), and interaction (F(4;40) = 21.389; \(p<0.001\)). Figure 2: Changes in the concentration of characteristic microbial groups as a result of storage in a vacuum at 5 \({}^{\circ}\)C in the two varieties of sweet potatoes tested. The results presented herein demonstrate the mean values derived from three independent experiments, alongside the standard deviation data. * The detection limit (DL) of lactobacilli and lactococci is 10 CFU/mL (corresponds to 1 log\({}_{10}\) CFU/mL), and out of the three parallels, one resulted in a colony number less than the DL. In these cases, the average and the standard deviation were calculated only from two data points. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Control**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**AP**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**CP**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**AA**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**CA**} \\  & **Bonia** & **Covingen** & **Bonia** & **Covingen** & **Bonia** & **Covingen** & **Bonia** & **Covingen** & **Bonia** & **Covingen** & **Bonia** & **Covingen** \\ \hline _Entrobericence_ (VREG) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(>\) 1.9 \(\pm\) 0.29 & 1.45 \(\pm\) 0.27 \(\times\)0.8 & 1.60 \(\pm\) 0.70 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)1.00 \({}^{\circ}\) \\ Yeats/moulds & 2.00 \(\pm\) 0.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & 2.00 \(\pm\) 0.8 \({}^{\circ}\) & 2.00 \(\pm\) 0.8 \({}^{\circ}\) & 2.00 \(\pm\) 0.8 \({}^{\circ}\) & 2.00 \(\pm\) 0.8 \({}^{\circ}\) & 2.00 \(\pm\) 0.8 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(>\)2.00 \({}^{\circ}\) & \(<\)2.00 & \(<\)2.00 & \(<\)2.00 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Log\({}_{0}\) CFU/g values of the _Entrobericence_ family and yeasts/moulds comprising the microbots of treated Bonita and Covingen sweet potato samples, examined before storage, with standard deviations.