Influence of the cultivar on the organic acid and sugar composition of potatoes.
BACKGROUND
Citric, malic, tartaric, oxalic, ascorbic, aconitic and fumaric acids, and sucrose, fructose and glucose, were determined in ten potato cultivars (Azucena negra, Bonita, Bonita negra, Borralla, Colorada de baga, Mora, Negra, Palmera lagarteada, Peluca blanca and Terrenta) from the Canary Islands in order to differentiate them. The influence of the production zone was also considered.


RESULTS
Citric acid and sucrose were the most abundant organic acid and sugar, respectively. There were significant differences in all the analysed sugars and organic acids between the potato cultivars, except for oxalic and malic acids. Differences associated with the production zone were found in the contents of organic acids for some cultivars. Linear discriminant analysis is a useful tool to differentiate the potato samples according to the cultivar and the zone of production.


CONCLUSIONS
Seven organic acids (citric, oxalic, malic, tartaric, aconitic, fumaric, and ascorbic acids) were identified and quantified in potatoes. The main sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) were also determined. The genetic information of the cultivars determines marked differences in sugars and organic acid contents among the analysed potato cultivars. The soil and climatic conditions affect the organic acid and sugar contents of some potato cultivars.
Rodríguez Galdón
Beatriz
B
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, University of La Laguna, Avda Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez, 38201, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
Ríos Mesa
Domingo
D
Rodríguez Rodríguez
Elena M
EM
Díaz Romero
Carlos
C
D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D001266:Atlantic Islands; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000032:analysis*; D005632:Fructose / Q000032:analysis; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D006601:Hexoses / Q000032:analysis*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013030:Spain; D013045:Species Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014233:Tricarboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis*
D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D006601:Hexoses; D012987:Soil; D014233:Tricarboxylic Acids; D005632:Fructose; D005947:Glucose; D001205:Ascorbic Acid