Sweetening During Low-Temperature and Long-Term Storage of Indian Potatoes

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to study potato storage behaviour in terms of lipid peroxidation and starch hydrolysis in three cultivars differing widely in storability. Popular potato cultivars among Indian farmers, namely Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Pukhraj with good, medium and average storability, respectively, were evaluated during storage at 4 and 12 °C for 180 days. Both low-temperature and long-term storage increased the reducing sugar and sucrose content and this increase was significantly higher at 4 °C compared to 12 °C. Contents were highest in Kufri Pukhraj, followed by Kufri Jyoti, and lowest in Kufri Chipsona-1. Malondialdehyde content and catalase activity were also higher at 4 °C in all the three cultivars. Malondialdehyde content was highest in Kufri Pukhraj followed by Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Chipsona-1, whereas catalase and peroxidase activities were highest in Kufri Chipsona-1 and lowest in Kufri Pukhraj. Kufri Chipsona-1 possessed the highest resistance to activated oxygen due to high catalase and peroxidase levels, and also maintained the lowest malondialdehyde and sugar contents and the best chip colour of the three cultivars studied. These features make this cultivar superior for processing purposes.