Potatoes, members of the Solanaceae plant family, serve as major, inexpensive low-fat food sources providing energy (starch), high-quality protein, fiber, and vitamins. Potatoes also produce biologically active secondary metabolites, which may have both adverse and beneficial effects in the diet. These include glycoalkaloids, calystegine alkaloids, protease inhibitors, lectins, phenolic compounds, and chlorophyll. Because glycoalkaloids are reported to be involved in host-plant resistance and to have a variety of adverse as well as beneficial effects in cells, animals, and humans, a need exists to develop a clearer understanding of their roles both in the plant and in the diet. To contribute to this effort, this integrated review presents data on the (a) history of glycoalkaloids; (b) glycoalkaloid content in different parts of the potato plant, in processed potato products, and in wild, transgenic, and organic potatoes; (c) biosynthesis, inheritance, plant molecular biology, and glycoalkaloid−plant phyto...

Potato Glycoalkaloids and Metabolites: Roles in the Plant and in the Diet

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber follows only rice and wheat in world importance as a food crop for human consumption. Cultivated potatoes have spread from the Andes of South America where they originated to 160 countries around the world. Consumption of fresh potatoes has declined while processed products have increased in popularity. As the potato becomes a staple in the diets of an increasing number of humans, small differences in potato nutritional composition will have major impacts on population health. The potato is a carbohydrate-rich, energy-providing food with little fat. Potato protein content is fairly low but has an excellent biological value of 90-100. Potatoes are particularly high in vitamin C and are a good source of several B vitamins and potassium. The skins provide substantial dietary fiber. Many compounds in potatoes contribute to antioxidant activity and interest in cultivars with pigmented flesh is growing. This review will examine the nutrient and bioactive compounds in potatoes and their impact on human health.

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Potatoes and Human Health

Deep-fat frying is a rapid and low cost process widely used to prepare tasty food. During this cooking process, oil is used both as the heating medium and as an ingredient producing calorific products. Nutrition has become a major health issue, especially in developed countries where increasing obesity is a problem, particularly among children. Many food research projects involving snack food industries therefore attempt to understand oil uptake during the frying process in order to control and reduce the fat content of fried products without deteriorating their desirable organoleptic characteristics. The main objectives of this paper are to review the literature on the frying process and more precisely the mechanisms and parameters involved in the oil uptake phenomenon. Both products and processes will be considered and their influence via experimental results will be discussed.

Review of mechanisms, conditions, and factors involved in the oil uptake phenomenon during the deep-fat frying process

Correlation of fatty acid composition of vegetable oils with rheological behaviour and oil uptake

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of very high gravity (VHG) potato mash, containing 304 g L−1 of dissolved carbohydrates, was carried out for ethanol production. Potato tubers were ground into a mash, which was highly viscous. Mash viscosity was reduced by the pretreatment with mixed enzyme preparations of pectinase, cellulase and hemicellulase. The enzymatic pretreatment established the use of VHG mash with a suitable viscosity. Starch in the pretreated mash was liquefied to maltodextrins by the action of thermo-stable α-amylase at 85 °C. SSF of liquefied mash was performed at 30 °C with the simultaneous addition of glucoamylase, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source for the yeast. The optimal glucoamylase loading, ammonium sulfate concentration and fermentation time were 1.65 AGU g−1, 30.2 mM and 61.5 h, respectively, obtained using the response surface methodology (RSM). Ammonium sulfate supplementation was necessary to avoid stuck fermentation under VHG condition. Using the optimized condition, ethanol yield of 16.61% (v/v) was achieved, which was equivalent to 89.7% of the theoretical yield.

Grażyna Gołubowska

Papers

The effects of oils and frying temperatures on the texture and fat content of potato crisps

Structural changes of potato tissue during French fries production

Changes of glycoalkaloids and nitrate contents in potatoes during chip processing

Influence of harvest date on glycoalkaloid contents of three potato varieties

Changes of polysaccharide content and texture of potato during French fries production