Phenolics

Abstract

Potato is a wholesome and versatile food that is not only rich in carbohydrtaes but also have variety of nutritional compounds. Due to its potential to produce more dry matter, protein and minerals per unit area, potato can be a better staple crop compared to cereals. Because of the beneficial effects on health, compounds present in colored (yellow, red, and purple flesh) potatoes such as phenols and carotenoids are very important and therefore they are highly desirable in the human diet. Phytonutrients are antioxidants that reduce or inhibit oxidative processes in human body and food products. Free radicals or reactive oxygen species are responsible for the degenerative reactions and are associated with many chronic diseases during metabolism. Antioxidants such as polyphenols, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid, etc., help the body to neutralize free radicals. Due to more per capita consumption of potatoes compared to other vegetables, breeders are focusing on development of new potato varieties rich in antioxidants, viz. phenols, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid so as to increase the availability of antioxidants to large populations worldwide. In this chapter an attempt was made to retrace the information on potato phenols that differ with the cultivar, growing location, cultural practices adopted during cultivation, maturity at harvest, subsequent storage, processing parameters, different cooking methods, and other related factors.