Biodiversity of Andean potatoes: Morphological, nutritional and functional characterization

Mineral, Vitamin and Phytonutrients Content in Different Andean Potato Varieties Reintroduced in the North West Region, Argentina (NOA)

The mineral content, vitamin C, and chlorogenic acid were determined in 44 genotypes of Andean potatoes reintroduced in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina. This initiative aims to promote biodiversity and support local producers by determining the nutritional and functional properties of these genotypes. The genotypes from a collection in the Germplasm Bank of INTA Balcarce, were planted in sandy clay loam soils and harvested manually. The tubers obtained showed significant variability in size, even within the same genotype. The maximum yield was 0.60 kg/plant, with the CL 621 genotype having the highest yield. Genotype CL836 stands up for its high content of Mg, Ca, and Zn (190.3 ± 10.5; 112.2 ± 1.9; 1.29 ± 0.12 mg/100 g dw, respectively); CL 790 for its Mn content (2.09 ± 0.048 mg/100 g dw), and CL 516 and CCS 1349 are rich in Zn and Ca (2.23 ± 0.08 and 123.11 ± 6.88 mg/100 g dw) respectively. The highest contents of Vitamin C and chlorogenic acid corresponded to the CCS1385 and CL 631 genotypes (17.62 ± 0.11; 91.64 ± 1.82 mg/100 g dw) respectively. According to the correlation analysis, the highest content of antioxidants was in small tubers. This information will allow promoting the cultivation of genotypes that contribute to the nutritional security of the local population.

Anthocyanin profiling of genetically diverse pigmented potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) clonal accessions from north-eastern sub-Himalayan plateau of India

White-fleshed potatoes have health concerns due to high glycemic index. Native and unexplored pigmented potato landraces may offer adequate and future smart alternatives with a balanced nutritional profile. Twenty-five pigmented potato clonal accessions across the eastern sub-Himalayan plateau of India were collected, purified and categorized into 'Badami' (UBAC) and 'Deshi' (UDAC) types. Evaluation of different nutritional attributes revealed that pigmented UBAC accessions are boosted with, high total dietary fibre, and total anthocyanin content and have remarkably low reducing sugar and glycemic index. Non-targeted LC-MS analysis identified caffeoyl and coumaroyl derivatives of delphinidin and petunidin glycosides, as major classes of anthocyanin compounds in pigmented potato accessions. HPLC-mediated quantification revealed high contents of delphinidin in the majority of accessions along with the selective presence of other anthocyanins. Selected accession was found to have polyphenolic compounds like gallic acid, vanillic acid, cinnamic acid and quercetin. The genetic cluster analysis of clonal accessions divided these genotypes into five major clusters. An ISSR repeat motif (AGG)6 was tightly linked with the total anthocyanin content of the accessions in Single Marker Analysis. Altogether, these native pigmented potato accessions offer a nutritious and healthy alternative to the conventional white-fleshed potato genotypes.

Metabolite profiling and cytotoxic activity of Andean potatoes: Polyamines and glycoalkaloids as potential anticancer agents in human neuroblastoma cells in vitro

Andean potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. ssp. andigena) are a good source of dietary antioxidant polyphenols. We have previously demonstrated that polyphenol extracts from Andean potato tubers exerted a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, being skin extracts more potent than flesh ones. In order to gain insight into the bioactivities of potato phenolics, we investigated the composition and the in vitro cytotoxic activity of total extracts and fractions of skin and flesh tubers of three Andean potato cultivars (Santa María, Waicha, and Moradita). Potato total extracts were subjected to liquid-liquid fractionation using ethyl acetate solvent in organic and aqueous fractions. We analyzed both fractions by HPLC-DAD, HPLC-ESI-MS/MS, and HPLC-HRMS. Results corroborated the expected composition of each fraction. Organic fractions were rich in hydroxycinnamic acids (principally chlorogenic acid isomers), whereas aqueous fractions contained mainly polyamines conjugated with phenolic acids, glycoalkaloids, and flavonoids. Aqueous fractions were cytotoxic against SH-SY5Y cells and even more potent than their respective total extracts. Treatment with a combination of both fractions showed a similar cytotoxic response to the corresponding extract. According to correlation studies, it is tempting to speculate that polyamines and glycoalkaloids are crucial in inducing cell death. Our findings indicate that the activity of Andean potato extracts is a combination of various compounds and contribute to the revalorization of potato as a functional food.

Prioritizing Colombian plant genetic resources for investment in research using indicators about the geographic origin, vulnerability status, economic benefits, and food security importance

Germplasm banks are the most significant repository for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) worldwide. Despite their strategic importance, national germplasm banks of tropical megadiverse developing countries such as Colombia have extremely limited funds. Therefore, making strategic decisions about research investment is essential. Here, we designed a data-driven approach to build an index that sorts Colombian PGRFA into three groups: high, medium, or low priority, based on four pillars of information from open-access databases and aligned with the sustainable goals of no poverty and zero hunger: Geographic origin, vulnerability status, economic benefits, and food security importance. We analyzed 345 PGRFA using the index, separating them into two groups, 275 already conserved in the Colombian germplasm bank (BGVCOL group) and 70 not currently conserved in the BGVCOL (NCB group). We used fuzzy logic to classify each PGRFA by each pillar and integrate it to obtain a priority index. Missing data for native crops were frequent in the BGVCOL group. Therefore we adopted an imputation strategy to fill the gaps and calculated the uncertainty. After applying the index, PGRFA with higher priority were 24 (8.72%) from the BGVCOL (i.e., 15 potatoes, three tomatoes, two tree tomatoes, pineapple, cocoa, papaya, and yacon) and one from NCB (i.e., coffee). We concluded that this methodology successfully prioritized PGRFA in Colombia and shows the big holes of knowledge for future research and alternatives to improve this index. The versatility of this methodology could be helpful in other genebanks with budget limitations for research investment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10531-023-02599-7.

Effects of different altitudes on the structure and properties of potato starch

The main element influencing the quality of potato starch is the environment. To investigate the effects of different altitude cultivation locations on the molecular structure and physicochemical properties of starch, two potato varieties, Jiusen No.1 B1 and Qingshu No.9 B2, were planted in three different altitude zones: A1 at low altitude (Chongzhou 450 m), A2 at middle altitude (Xichang 2800 m), and A3 at high altitude (Litang 3650 m). The results showed that the average volume, number, surface area diameter, average branched polymerization degree, crystallinity, and gelatinization temperature of two potato granules in high altitude areas were significantly lower than those in middle and low altitude areas were, and the gelatinization performance of potato starch was affected according to the correlation of starch structure characteristics. Potato starch with more short-branched chains and less long branched chains resulted in a lower gelatinization temperature in high altitude areas. The results showed that Jiusen No. 1 and Qingshu No. 9 were mainly affected by accumulated radiation and accumulated rainfall in Litang, a high altitude area, and by effective accumulated temperature in Xichang, a middle altitude area. This study quantified the influence of meteorological factors on the main starch quality of potato tubers. The results can be used as a theoretical basis for the scientific planting of high-quality potatoes.

Uncovering anthocyanin diversity in potato landraces (Solanum tuberosum L. Phureja) using RNA-seq

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the third largest source of antioxidants in the human diet, after maize and tomato. Potato landraces have particularly diverse contents of antioxidant compounds such as anthocyanins. We used this diversity to study the evolutionary and genetic basis of anthocyanin pigmentation. Specifically, we analyzed the transcriptomes and anthocyanin content of tubers from 37 landraces with different colorations. We conducted analyses of differential expression between potatoes with different colorations and used weighted correlation network analysis to identify genes whose expression is correlated to anthocyanin content across landraces. A very significant fraction of the genes identified in these two analyses had annotations related to the flavonoid-anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, including 18 enzymes and 5 transcription factors. Importantly, the causal genes at the D, P and R loci governing anthocyanin accumulation in potato cultivars also showed correlations to anthocyanin production in the landraces studied here. Furthermore, we found that 60% of the genes identified in our study were located within anthocyanin QTLs. Finally, we identified new candidate enzymes and transcription factors that could have driven the diversification of anthocyanins. Our results indicate that many anthocyanins biosynthetic genes were manipulated in ancestral potato breeding and can be used in future breeding programs.

Potato biodiversity: A linear discriminant analysis on the nutritional and physicochemical composition of fifty genotypes

Fifty potato genotypes from twenty-four different countries of origin, four different flesh colours (yellow, purple, red and marble) and different cultivation types (Andean accessions, landraces, breeder lines and cultivated varieties) were studied in terms of their nutritional and physicochemical characteristics. In general, cultivated varieties and breeder lines showed the highest similarity (slight differences only in some particular fatty acids distributions: C10:0, C12:0 and C22:0) concerning the physicochemical parameters assayed in this work, independently of the geographical origin or tuber flesh colour of these genotypes. Nonetheless, some of the studied landraces and Andean accessions proved to be similar enough to be considered as genotypes with good potential for commercial cultivation. These results can contribute to the supply of new potato genotypes into sustainable farming systems, supporting the protection of potato biodiversity, particularly Andean accessions, landraces and coloured genotypes (red or purple flesh) which are not widely cultivated so far.

The effect of ultrasonic on reducing anti-browning minimum effective concentration of purslane extract on fresh-cut potato slices during storage

Enzymatic browning is one of the major difficulties for the preservation and commercial value of fresh-cut products. To research more healthy and inexpensive anti-browning methods, we investigated the effect of ultrasonic coupling purslane extract on the browning resistance of fresh-cut potato during 8d storage at 4 °C. Firstly, the optimal ultrasonic time (10 min) was obtained. Then, the results showed that the combined application with lower purslane extract concentration (0.02%, w/w) could achieve a better anti-browning effect than the optimal concentration of alone purslane extract (0.05%, w/w). The combined application not only significantly inhibited the key enzyme activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), but also effectively reduced the damage to cell membrane, maintained its integrity and permeability. Meanwhile, it also improved antioxidant capacity during storage. Overall, the ultrasonic cavitation combined with purslane extract would be a promising method for fresh-cut industry.

A Study on the Biodiversity of Pigmented Andean Potatoes: Nutritional Profile and Phenolic Composition

The characterization of six varieties of native Andean potatoes with a wide biodiversity in tuber shape, flesh, and skin color was performed, through the determination of their proximate composition, mineral content, and phenolic profile. Minerals concentration revealed significant genotypic variation. Potassium was the most abundant element in all varieties, ranging from 7272.9 to 13,059.9 µg/g and from 12,418 to 17,388.6 µg/g dried weight for the flesh and skin samples, respectively. Iron content was relevant, ranging from 20.5 to 39.9 µg/g and from 112.2 to 288.8 µg/g dried weight in flesh and skin samples, respectively. Phenolic compounds were consistently higher in the skin than in the flesh. The total content varied greatly from 19.5 to 2015.3 µg/g and from 1592.3 to 14807.3 µg/g dried weight for flesh and skin tissues, respectively. 5-caffeoylquinic acid was 74% of the total phenolic acids. Different pattern of anthocyanins was found, depending on the color of the variety; the red genotypes contained predominantly pelargonidin derivatives, while the purple samples had petunidin as a major anthocyanidin. This study increases the knowledge of the composition of the local Andean varieties (which are only scarcely studied so far), helping to enhance these genotypes and the conservation of biodiversity.

Analysis of Environmental Conditions Effect in the Phytochemical Composition of Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Cultivars

Crop productivity and food quality are affected by environmental conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the environment on the concentration of phytochemical components in several potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars. The content of vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA), the total carotenoids content (TCC), the total polyphenols content (TPC), and the total anthocyanins content (TAC) of 11 potatoes varieties grown in Ecuador (Cutuglahua, Pujilí, and Pilahuín) was measured by the spectrophotometric method. The antioxidant capacity (AC) of potato cultivars was evaluated by the ABTS method. The AA concentration ranged between 12.67 to 39.49 mg/100g fresh weight (FW), the TCC ranged between 50.00 and 1043.50 μg/100g FW, the TPC ranged between 0.41 and 3.25 g of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/kg dry weight (DW), the TAC ranged between 2.74 and 172.53 μg/g FW and finally the AC ranged between 36.80 and 789.19 μg of trolox equivalents (TE)/g FW. Genotypes (G), location (L), and interaction (G x L) were significant at p < 0.01. The genotype (G) showed a greater variation in the phytochemical contents. AA and TPC showed the highest correlation with the AC. A selection of genotypes with these characteristics can be used to develop germplasms with a high AC.

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activities of Potato Cultivars with White, Yellow, Red and Purple Flesh

The contents of total phenolics (TPC), individual phenolic acid and antioxidant activities in the free and bound fractions of potato with different flesh colors were systematically investigated. The TPC and antioxidant capacity in the bound fraction was significantly lower than that in the free fraction. Chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid were detected in the free fraction with chlorogenic acid being the most predominant, accounting for 35.21-81.78% of the total content. Caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid were detected in the bound fraction in the colored potato with caffeic acid being the major one. In the free fraction, the content of each individual phenolic acid had positive correlation with antioxidant activity. In the bound fraction, caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid showed positive correlation with antioxidant activity. This study promotes further understanding of the correlations among TPC, phenolic acids and antioxidant activity.

Optimization of hot-air drying conditions for cassava flour for its application in gluten-free pasta formulation

The design and development of gluten-free foods requires a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of the raw materials to attain the same cooking and nutritional quality as gluten-based food. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal hot-air drying conditions for elaboration of cassava flour to be used in a gluten-free pasta formulation. The results showed that the operational conditions to minimize the hot-air drying time (57 min) to produce cassava flour with higher water holding capacity was 57 ℃ at 3 m/s. Then, the optimal formulation for the pasta was found to be cassava (26 g/100 g), amaranth flour (12 g/100 g), and carboxymethyl cellulose (0.23 g/100 g), which maximized the A_w (0.160), moisture content (3.10 g/100 g), hardness (5.02 N), and protein content (9.30 g/100 g), and it is used for the sensorial analysis, which showed that an earthy taste was the main problem with consumer satisfaction.

Association of Patatin-Based Proteomic Distances with Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) Quality Traits

Patatin is the major tuber storage protein constituted by multiple isoforms highly variable across potato ( S. tuberosum) varieties. Here, we report a first association study of the variability of patatin isoforms between cultivars with their differences in tuber quality traits. Patatin-based proteomic distances were assessed between 15 table and/or processing potato cultivars from profiles of patatin obtained by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The content of ash, dry matter, reducing sugars, starch, total protein, and amino acid composition was also evaluated in tubers of each cultivar. Results showed that proteomic distances were significantly ( P < 0.05) associated with differences in the content of ash, dry matter, and essential amino acids. Proteomic distances were also able to identify outlier cultivars regarding the content of dry matter, content of protein, and protein quality. In conclusion, patatin-based proteomic distances can shorten the screening and selection processes of potato cultivars with advantageous characteristics in molecular breeding.