ARS | Publication request: Breeding for Phytonutrient Enhancement in Potato

Submitted to: European Association for Potato Research
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: March 3, 2008
Publication Date: July 6, 2008
Citation: Brown, C.R. 2008. Breeding for Phytonutrient Enhancement in Potato. European Association for Potato Research. July 6-10, Brasov, Romania, 219-222.

Technical Abstract: Tubers of 38 native potato cultivars of different taxonomic groups from South America were analyzed to determine The total anthocyanins, total carotenoids and antioxidant values of several groups of breeding clones and varieties were analyzed. Total anthocyanins and an Hydrophilic Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (H-ORAC)were measured in the acetone fraction of an acetone chloroform phase separation. Total carotenoids and a Lipophilic ORAC (L-ORAC) were measure from the solutes in the chloroform fraction. In a a group of native cultivars of South America, total anthocyanins ranged from zero to 23 mg cyanidin equivalents/100 g fresh weight (FW). Total carotenoid ranged from 38 to 2020 µg zeaxanthin equivalents/100 g FW. The hydrophilic ORAC ranged from 333 to 1408 µM Trolox equivalents /100 g FW. The lipophilic ORAC ranged from 4.7 to 30 nM a-tocopherol equivalents /100 g FW. The cultivars consisted of 23 diploids, seven triploids and eight tetraploids. Total carotenoids was negatively correlated with total anthocyanins. Total anthocyanins was correlated with hydrophilic ORAC. Among clones with less than 2 mg cyanidin equivalents/100 g FW total carotenoids and lipophilic ORAC were correlated, but this was not true for analysis of all 38 clones. Although total anthocyanins or hydrophilic ORAC values reported here were not outside of the ranges found in North American and other breeding materials, total carotenoids and lipophilic ORACs are higher than previously reported, suggest that native cultivars of South America with high levels of total carotenoids and high lipophilic ORAC are a unique germplasm source for introgression of these traits into specific native potato cultivars outside the center of origin. A breeding effort designed to increase the antioxidant level of potato by means of high concentrations of anthocyanins and/or carotenoids provided selected materials for a second analysis. Total anthocyanins varied between 9.5 and 38 mg cyanidin equivalents per 100 g FW. The hydrophilic fraction ORAC measurements among anthocyanin-rich