• Brightly colored potatoes do not representă not only an excellent source of carbohydrates, but also a reservoir of valuable essential elements, antioxidants such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, essential amino acids, vitamins and mineral elements.
It is remarkable that "this second bread of the Romanians", a little more pigmented than usual, contains numerous biologically active compounds that should not be missing from any healthy diet, being indispensable for the proper functioning of the metabolism. In the case of certain intensely colored potato varieties, food products obtained from this raw material even through thermal processing (baking, boiling in the peel) can provide a substantial intake of calcium, vitamin C and essential mineral elements such as iron, potassium, zinc.
Some bibliographic sources mention that a single medium-sized potato tuber, even boiled, contains about half of the daily requirement of vitamin C for adults, and the calcium content can be almost twice as high as in corn. The intensely colored potatoes also contain B vitamins and valuable essential trace elements, such as manganese, chromium, selenium and molybdenum.
Important source of antioxidants
However, what distinguishes intensely colored potatoes (with yellow, purple, red or blue flesh) from the rest of the usual varieties is the presence in massive concentrations of formidable antioxidants, which play a role in protecting the body against free radicals - "aggressors" which constantly invade our environment. The major antioxidants in the composition of intensely colored potato tubers are: some polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonols, anthocyanidins), vitamin C, carotenoids (provitamin A) and tocopherols (vitamin E). The anthocyanidins petunidin, malvidin, delphinidin, pelargonidin, cyanidin and peonidin are part of the tubers with red and blue pulp.
Consuming foods rich in antioxidants helps reduce the risk of chronic and degenerative diseases (atherosclerosis, macular degeneration, cataracts) that are due to oxidative stress.
Typical composition of potato tubers
| compound | Content (%) | |
| Interval | Media | |
| Dry matter | 13.1 - 36.8 | 23.7 |
| Starch | 8.0 - 29.4 | 17.5 |
| Reducing sugars | 0.0 - 5.0 | 0.3 |
| Total sugar | 0.05 - 8.0 | 0.5 |
| Raw fibers | 0.17 - 3.48 | 0.71 |
| Peptic substances | 0.2 - 1.5 | - |
| Total nitrogen | 0.11 - 0.74 | 0.32 |
| Crude protein (total nitrogen x 6.25) | 0.69 - 4.63 | 2.00 |
| Lipids | 0.02 - 0.2 | 0.12 |
| Ash | 0.44 - 1.87 | 1.10 |
| Organic acids | 0.4 - 1.0 | 0.6 |
| L-ascorbic acid * | 1.0 - 54.0 | 10.0 - 25.0 |
| Glycoalkaloids* | 0.2 - 41.0 | 3.0 - 10.0 |
| Phenolic compounds* | 5.0 - 30.0 | - |
*Values are reported per 100 g of fresh product
Support for healthy eating
Potato tubers with intensely colored pulp (yellow, purple, blue or red) are a functional food, a source of health and color, which should not be missing from the diet of self-respecting consumers. And not only that…. Due to the high content of anthocyanin or carotenoid pigments, valuable components with remarkable antioxidant properties, potatoes with purple or bright yellow It is an insufficiently exploited raw material for obtaining food supplements.
Potatoes with intensely colored pulp can be considered a functional food, with various benefits to human health due to their high content of polyphenols and carotenoids (essential compounds, recognized for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties).
Purple potato or the one with intense yellow pulp can be consumed boiled or baked, prepared as a puree or cut into salads for a special appearance, but the highest total amount of essential compounds (antioxidant pigments) was recorded in samples thermally processed by baking. By processing potatoes in this way, nutritionally valuable culinary preparations can be obtained, beneficial for the health of consumers.
Article by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Carmen Liliana BĂDĂRĂU, Transylvania University of Brașov, Faculty of Food and Tourism
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