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Pachyrhizus spp. is an important food crop in the tropics with a long history of cultivation. Its importance in America with recent prospects for export, as well as its wide acceptance in western Africa and Southeast Asia, has stimulated interest in its conservation and processing. However, there is a lack of studies about its composition, needed to complete data that could be used for future research. This review shows a brief overview about the work that has been done in the past and recent years where tuberous roots have been characterized, used in food processing and development as well as included in the postharvest technology, food biotechnology and nanotechnology. Its purpose is to identify areas of lacking studies and also to give direction to research works to achieve a whole knowledge about this interesting tuberous root that could result in an increase of the applications of this underutilized crop such as production of oligosaccharides/monosaccharides, high glucose syrups, flour and wine and incorporated in yogurt or other milk products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]