DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.187874.1 ISSN: 2046-1402

Indigenous Tuber-Based Food Systems in Indonesia and Southeast Asia: An Integrative Review of Food Security, Postharvest Biology, and Food Microbiology

Fadila Fadila, Muh Akbar Idris, Brayen Patandean, Devi Andriani Luta, Shinta Palupi, Bernadetta Rina Hastilestari, Wilhelmus Terang Arga Sanjaya, Della Meysari, Fitriani Fitriani, Lilis Habsari, Tri Wahyuni, Antonius Buksalwembun, Angeline Stefanny Sirami, Putra Julixter Kute, Friandov Meilano Damaryanan
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Background Indigenous tuber-based food systems are unevenly documented across Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Ethnobotanical studies describe diverse species and processing practices, but their implications for food security are often inferred rather than measured. Evidence linking these systems to postharvest biology and food microbiology is even more fragmented. Methods This integrative review retained a documented core of 23 studies from an earlier Scopus search (66 records; search date 4 May 2026) and added a targeted complementary evidence stream from PubMed/MEDLINE, the Directory of Open Access Journals, GARUDA, and backward citation searching (last searched 02 July 2026). The core studies were synthesized by ecological setting and the four food-security pillars. Complementary sources were used only to interpret biological deterioration, detoxification, and fermentation mechanisms; they were not merged retrospectively into a PRISMA-compliant corpus. Results The core evidence is strongly Indonesia-centred and does not support a homogeneous regional account. Dryland Dioscorea systems, cassava-based diversification, wetland taro and sago systems, homegardens, and forest-foraged underground storage organs differ in their ecological constraints and food-security functions. Availability (13 studies) and stability (12) were mentioned more often than access (9), while utilization (10) was commonly described through processing knowledge. Complementary evidence shows that postharvest deterioration, cyanogenic compound removal, and mixed microbial consortia can shape shelf life and safe use, but these mechanisms have rarely been connected to household-level food-security outcomes. Conclusions Indigenous tubers may support food security through context-specific pathways, but the available evidence is mostly descriptive and localized. Postharvest biology and food microbiology clarify plausible mechanisms rather than proving regional food-security effects. The Spatio-Temporal Biocultural Framework is therefore retained as a research agenda, not a validated model. A future systematic update requires a prospectively registered protocol, duplicate screening, a recoverable exclusion log, design-appropriate appraisal, and comprehensive multilingual searching.

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