Comparative evaluation of the antioxidant activity of potato varieties with different tuber pulp pigmentation

The aim of the study is a comparative assessment of the main biochemical parameters of potato cultivars that differ in the pigmentation of the pulp of tubers and the level of antioxidant activity. Spectral analysis of the biochemical composition of the cultivars tubers showed that the carbohydrate component predominated among the main nutrients, mainly in the form of starch. Moreover, varieties with pigmented pulp of tubers have the lowest content - no more than 10.48-11.22 %. With an average value of the protein concentration in tubers of the studied cultivars at the level of 2.5 % in the Surprise, Dessert, Violet and Monakh varieties with intensely colored pulp, it turned out to be the highest - 3.19-3.75 %. The content of vitamin C in these varieties also turned out to be the maximum - from 21.78 mg% in the Dessert variety with pink pulp to 26.40 mg% in the Violet variety with blue-violet pulp of tubers. With regard to carotenoids and anthocyanins, which mainly determine the pigmentation of the pulp of tubers, an increased concentration of carotenoids was revealed in varieties with yellow pulp, reaching 10.41-17.28 % per 100 g of dry matter, and anthocyanins in varieties with bright pink and blue-violet pulp - 14.32-16.94 %. The amount of flavonoids in tubers of potato varieties varied from 30.11 (variety Udacha) to 64.81 mg (variety Monakh) per 100 g of dry matter, which indicates an excess of their concentration by 1.5-2 times in varieties with intensely pigmented pulp of tubers. The highest antioxidant activity was found in pigmented cultivars after four months of storage, due to the maximum amount of carotenoids and anthocyanins, which impart a bright pink and blue-violet color to the pulp and make up the bulk of the total amount of antioxidants in the pulp of ripe tubers.