Bioactive compounds - added value for potato from genetic resources and waste streams

Summary

Exotic potatoes other than S. tuberosum ssp. tuberosum cultivars may have a high
interest in terms of commercialization in Russia and in Europe. In Finland, on the
market there is already one potato cultivar called Blue Congo, which has a dark purple
skin also with a purple flesh. This clearly shows that potatoes even with considerably
irregular shape and completely exceptional flesh colour can have market potential.
Some potato species are known to have high protein content in tubers, which is also
important for need of production in developing countries. Certain genotypes can be
valuable sources of vitamins, dietary fibre and certain minerals such as copper,
potassium, iron and magnesium. Potatoes may also contain a broad variation of
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phytonutrients that have antioxidant capacity. Among the health-promoting
compounds there are carotenoids, flavonoids, caffeic acid and tuber storage protein
patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals and have antimicrobial, antiinflammatory
and antiallergic properties (Brown et al. 2007, Ritter et al. 2008).
Potatoes earlier cultivated only by American Indians can offer a high reservoir for
developing novel products. Some tubers may have colored flesh, which can be a useful
new criterium for potato crisp production. Determinations of dry matter content, chip
colour, oil absorption and cooking time are important for potato processing. Low oil
content associated with high dry matter and consistent chip colour are favourable to
economic and health concerns (Ritter et al. 2008). Therefore NPS potatoes are a great
source of high quality french fries and crisps. Excellent flavours and attractive colours
with variable shapes may result in products with novelty appeal. Some genotypes of
NPS collection may also show inhibition of the angiotensin converting enzyme I (ACE),
a biochemical factor which has an effect on blood pressure (hypertension) (Mäkinen et
al. 2008).