Potential of Indian potatoes for the management of hyperglycemia

Abstract

Potatoes are less favoured by health conscious people due to the notion that it has high glycaemic index. Anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidative potential of Indian potato cultivars were evaluated with the aim to remove the misconception. Glycaemic index was measured indirectly through estimating resistant starch, amylose content and activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors from cooked tubers of 46 Indian potato cultivars. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity ranged from 0 to 52.8% and was observed only in 14 cultivars, viz., Kufri Anand, Kufri Arun, Kufri Khasigaro, Kufri Kuber, Kufri Kundan, Kufri Muthu, Kufri Naveen, Kufri Neela, Kufri Pushkar, Kufri Red, Kufri Sadabahar, Kufri Safed, Kufri Sutlej and Kufri Swarna. α-amylase inhibitory activity was found only in cultivar Kufri Frysona (20.5%). Resistant starch content ranged from 1.22 to 1.93 mg/100 mg DW with highest value in Kufri Garima (1.93 mg/100 mg DW). Amylose content ranged from 10.8 to 27.6 mg/100 mg DW and was the maximum in processing cultivar Kufri Chipsona-3 (27.6 mg/100 mg DW). The highest activities of α-glucosidase inhibitors along with considerable resistant starch content was observed in cultivars, viz. Kufri Kuber, Kufri Khasigaro, Kufri Muthu, Kufri Naveen and Kufri Pushkar. Therefore, these potato cultivars can be used as speciality potatoes as these attributes have potential to prevent hyperglycemia helping manage the incidence of type II diabetes.