Abstract
Glycoalkaloids (a-solanine and a-chaconine) are naturally occurring toxic compounds in potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L.) that cause acute intoxication in humans after their consumption. Present research was conducted to evaluate a-chaconine, a-solanine, and total glycoalkaloids (TGAs) contents in the peel and flesh portions by high-performance liquid chromatography method in selected Pakistani potato cultivars. The a-solanine content varies 45.98 +/- 1.63 to 2742.60 +/- 92.97 mg/100 g of dry weight (DW) in peel and from 4.01 +/- 0.14 to 2466.56 +/- 87.21 mg/100 g of DW in flesh. Similarly, a-chaconine content varied from 4.42 +/- 0.16 to 6818.40 +/- 211.07 mg/100 g of DW in potato peel and from 3.94 +/- 0.14 to 475.33 +/- 16.81 mg/100 g DW in flesh portion. The TGA concentration varied from 177.20 +/- 6.26 to 5449.90 +/- 192.68 mg/100 g of DW in peel and from 3.08 +/- 0.11 to 14.69 +/- 0.52 mg/100 g of DW in flesh portion of all the potato cultivars tested. All the potato cultivars contained lower concentration of TGA than the limits recommended as safe, except 2 cultivars, that is FD8-3 (2539.18 +/- 89.77 mg/100 g of DW) and Cardinal (506.16 +/- 17.90 mg/kg). The dietary intake assessment of potato cultivars revealed that Cardinal, FD 35-36, FD 8-3, and FD 3-9 contained higher amount of TGA in whole potato, although FD 8-3 only possessed higher content of TGA (154.93 +/- 7.75) in its flesh portion rendering it unfit for human consumption.