Abstract

Twenty-two colored-flesh potatoes and three commercial noncolored-flesh varieties – which were all raw as they were microwaved (800 W, 8 min) and fried (180 °C, 5 min) – were characterized in terms of functional, sensory aspects and suitability for use. Twelve genetic samples were more suitable for frying (> 20% dry matter), four for boiling (~15-18% dry matter) and nine for preparing puree or roasting (~18 to 20% dry matter). The total polyphenol content (TPC) of the raw colored-flesh potatoes contained between 1.10 to 3.68 g of gallic acid equivalent kg-1 in fresh weight (FW), which was between two- and three-fold higher than the measured values in noncolored-flesh varieties. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was between 1.00 to 4.71 g of Trolox equivalent kg-1 FW, which was also lower in noncolored-flesh potatoes. The cooking process (frying and microwave) did not affect the TPC in most of the genetic samples analyzed, but it reduced the TAC by 40-75% (fried) and 30-90% (microwaved). According to sensory evaluation results, the genetic samples R2, R19, R3 and R5 were suitable for frying, while R16, R21, R9, R15 and R22 were suitable for microwaving. Colored-flesh potatoes are an interesting alternative for consumers due to their greater phytochemical content.