Andean Potato Cultivars (Solanum tuberosumL.) as a Source of Antioxidant and Mineral Micronutrients

Abstract

Potato tubers were evaluated as a source of antioxidants and minerals for the human diet. A genetically diverse sample of Solanum tuberosum L. cultivars native to the Andes of South America was obtained from a collection of nearly 1000 genotypes using microsatellite markers. This size-manageable collection of 74 landraces, representing at best the genetic diversity among potato germplasm, was analyzed for iron, zinc, calcium, total phenolic, total carotenoid, and total vitamin C contents. The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity of each genotype was also measured using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The iron content ranged from 29.87 to 157.96 microg g-1 of dry weight (DW), the zinc content from 12.6 to 28.83 microg g-1 of DW, and the calcium content from 271.09 to 1092.93 microg g-1 of DW. Total phenolic content varied between 1.12 and 12.37 mg of gallic acid equiv g-1 of DW, total carotenoid content between 2.83 and 36.21 microg g-1 of DW, and total vitamin C content between 217.70 and 689.47 microg g-1 of DW. The range of hydrophilic ORAC values was 28.25-250.67 micromol of Trolox equiv g-1 of DW. The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity and the total phenolic content were highly and positively correlated (r = 0.91). A strong relationship between iron and calcium contents was also found (r = 0.67). Principal component analysis on the studied nutritional contents of the core collection revealed that most potato genotypes were balanced in terms of antioxidant and mineral contents, but some of them could be distinguished by their high level in distinct micronutrients. Correlations between the micronutrient contents observed in the sample and the genetic distances assessed by microsatellites were weakly significant. However, this study demonstrated the wide variability of health-promoting micronutrient levels within the native potato germplasm as well as the significant contribution that distinct potato tubers may impart to the intake in dietary antioxidants, zinc, and iron.

Antioxidant Capacity and Total Phenolic Compounds of Twelve Selected Potato Landrace Clones Grown in Southern Chile

“…Yellow-orange pigmented potatoes usually have high carotenoid contents, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, violaxanthin, and antheraxanthin (Brown, 2005;Andre et al, 2007). They are present in different proportions depending on the genotype and on storage conditions.…”

“…The presence of these metabolites suggests that purple-and red-fleshed potatoes can be natural colorants or antioxidant sources for the food industry; however, a rigorous selection of genotypes with high antioxidant levels is needed. Phenolic acids, mainly chlorogenic acids, can consist of up to 90% of the total polyphenol content Shepody 192 ± 26a 565 ± 80a 29.39 ± 0.98fg Desirée 302 ± 31b 665 ± 63a 22.06 ± 1.52ab 457- CON-1157 (-) 191 ± 25a 630 ± 72a 33.06 ± 0.70h 254-CON-902 (Corazón de buey) 409 ± 41c 1248 ± 134bc 30.50 ± 0.55g 302-UA-1634A (-) 465 ± 56cd 1221 ± 161bc 26.26 ± 0.53cde 304- UA-1135 (-) 487 ± 34d 1177 ± 103b 24.15 ± 0.63bc 267-UA-1550 (Boyo de chancho) 506 ± 40de 1241 ± 112bc 24.53 ± 0.51cd 529 ± 36de 1365 ± 104c 25.81 ± 0.83cde NG-71 (Meca de gato) 563 ± 61ef 1564 ± 178d 27.71 ± 0.65def 283-UA-1108 (Cacho azul) 629 ± 65fg 1304 ± 108bc 20.81 ± 1.19a 301-UA-1500 (Corazón azul) 668 ± 64gh 1708 ± 144d 25.59 ± 0.78cd 239- UA-1388 (-) 733 ± 85h 2045 ± 186e 27.99 ± 1.28ef NG-5 (Chona negra) 945 ± 88i 2560 ± 270f 27.07 ± 1.16f 1864 ± 129j 4757 ± 273g 25.55 ± 0.83g in potatoes (Andre et al, 2007). Phenolic compounds are mostly distributed between the potato cortex and skin (peel) tissues (Friedman, 1997).…”

Carotenoids in potatoes - a short overview

“…Andean potatoes provide another rich and varied source of carotenoids. André et al (2007a) reported a range of 3 to 36 mg/kg DW for total carotenoids among 74 Andean landraces. In another study, André et al (2007b) screened 24 Andean cultivars and identified genotypes containing high concentration of lutein (1.12-17.7 mg/kg DW), zeaxanthin (18 mg/kg DW), and β-carotene (2 mg/kg DW).…”

Breeding potato for high yields: A review

“…It is also proposed to play a major role in the etiology and/or treatment of various chronic diseases such as sickle cell anemia, asthma, and cancer (Kolasa et al, 1993). Potato tubers are also important sources of minerals including phosphorous, calcium, zinc, potassium, and iron and their value in the human diet is often understated or ignored, particularly as a source of ascorbic acid (Dale et al, 2003;Yilmaz et al, 2005;Andre et al, 2007). Potato has shown a steadily growth rate over other main crops in developing countries (CIP, 2008) and remains an important role in the food security, nutrition and combating hunger (FAO, 2013).…”