Purple Potato Boasts High Anthocyanin Levels

Anthocyanins, the pigments in plants that continue to gain attention for their antioxidant effect, might help get new crop varieties to market faster in the near future. In the June 2005 issue of Spudman, a national magazine for potato growers, packers, shippers and processors, David Holm, professor and research specialist, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, notes that the healthful aspects of a new crop, such as anthocyanin levels, are beginning to have more influence on driving requisite levels of horticultural research.

"I think the thing I see shifting is that we'll be looking more and more at the health aspects of potatoes," says Holm, who worked on development of the 'Purple Majesty' purple-fleshed potato, which was released in 2005. "In the future, I think there will be more interest in the health aspects of all produce."

On Tuesday, Farm Fresh Direct, Monte Vista, CO, a collective of Colorado potato growers, announced that the first batch of the new potatoes, now branded as Purple Majesty, has made its national debut in Ralph's Fresh Fare markets in Southern California. The potatoes contain 235 mg of anthocyanins in a 148-gram serving, as determined by the Certified Nutrient Rich program administered by Scientific Certification Systems, Emeryville, CA. The potato, which typically grows to the size of a red or new potato, is a selective cross between white- and blue-fleshed types. Although many different purple-fleshed potatoes exist (see http://potatoes.wsu.edu/varieties/blue-purp-vars.htm for one list), they have typically only held limited levels of specialty and gourmet interest,

According to an article in the July/August 2005 issue of the American Journal of Potato Research (82:271-277), anthocyanins in purple- and red-fleshed potatoes are distributed throughout the tubers, not just the skin. The article also notes that the anthocyanin content of the potatoes could help encourage potato breeders and researchers to increase the antioxidant capacity and functional value of purple- and red-fleshed potatoes for future use in the food and nutraceutical industries.