ARS | Publication request: BREEDING FOR PHYTONUTRIENT ENHANCEMENT FOR POTATOES

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 31, 2004
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Potatoes originated in the Andes of South America where thousands of native cultivars are still grown. Many of these are highly pigmented with anthocyanins and carotenoids. Utilizing this natural genetic variation, we have carried out traditional breeding to produce new potato genotypes adapted to higher latitude growing areas that are high in anthocyanins and/or carotenoids. In potato, anthocyanins are primarily acylated glucosides of pelargonidin, petunidin, peonidin, malvidin and delphinidin. The carotenoids are xanthophylls, represented by lutein, violxanthin, zeaxanthin and others. Antioxidant measurements (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity, using AAPH as the radical generator) indicate that increasing concentrations of both pigment types correlate with antioxidant activity.