Total Glycoalkaloids and &alpha -Solanine Changes in Potato Tubers During Storage and Heat Processing

Three potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.), spring Marfona, autumn Cosima and Marfona, obtained from Isfahan Province, were stored under different conditions: 4oC, darkness 12oC, fluorescent light room temperature, darkness and room temperature, daylight. Relative humidity of the above stores was 85 to 90%. Analyses were carried out to determine total glycoalkaloids, α-solanine, specific gravity and total solids, during 30 days for the spring cultivar and 90 days for the autumn cultivars in stored tubers. α -Solanine content of each cultivar was determined by HPLC, in mg per 100 g dry weight, at the beginning, the midinterval, and the end of storage periods. Also, amounts of α-solanine in autumn cultivars, which showed the highest levels after storage for sixty days, were determined before and after heat processing for frying and cooking. Data were analyzed statistically by completely randomized design with Duncan’s multiple range test. The results revealed that the amount of α-solanine of the spring cultivar considerably increased under 12oC and flourescent light as compared with the other storage conditions. The amounts of α-solanine considerably increased during the storage of autumn cultivars which were stored at 12oC under flourescent light compared with those stored at room temperature and daylight, room temperature and darkness, and at 4oC and darkness, respectively. The amount of α-solanine decreased due to spring conditions during the storage period for cultivars stored at room temperature and darkness. In spite of the decreasing effect of peeling, before frying and after cooking, frying and cooking processes had no effect on the amount of α-solanine in the samples. Therefore, according to the above results, the most appropriate storage conditions to prevent increasing effect of α-solanine in potato tubers was 4oC in darkness.