Scientists have bred and released colorful new varieties of potato. ARS, USDA and Washington State University researchers have developed three new varieties of potatoes with red and purple flesh and skin, which are now available to consumers. Breeding efforts by ARS researchers in Beltsville, Maryland, led to the release of yellow-pigmented potatoes with up to three times more carotenoids than a yellow-fleshed imported variety. As the most-eaten U.S. vegetable, phytonutrient-rich potatoes can have a strong impact on health, according to plant geneticist Charles Brown, who is with ARS in Prosser, Washington. In a study, Brown and his colleagues analyzed and compared concentrations of phytochemicals in yellow- and purple-pigmented potatoes and in white potatoes. The team reported that yellow potatoes had a 45-fold greater concentration of carotenoids than white potatoes, and purple potatoes had a 20-fold greater concentration of anthocyanins than yellow potatoes. Brown carefully bred the three unique red- and purple-pigmented potatoes at ARS’s Vegetable and Forage Crops Production Research Unit in Prosser. The three great-tasting potato varieties with colored flesh that are now available for consumption are TerraRosa, AmaRosa, and Purple Fiesta (also known as Purple Pelisse). While the new potato varieties are festively colored and taste good, their value is far from skin deep. Foods rich in antioxidative bioactive compounds have been linked to reduced incidence of chronic diseases. https://news.wsu.edu/2014/12/04/scientists-breed-release-colorful-new-potato-varieties/#.VI3FcCuUc08
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 17:29:54 +0000
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