As potatoes are a major food crop, improving their nutritional value will contribute to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, provided that production is also increased.
The realistic targets for genetic improvement are:
ensuring tuber steroidal glycoalkaloids do not exceed 20 mg/100 g of fresh weight;
reducing acrylamide formation in chips and French fries below benchmark levels of 750 and 500 μg/kg, respectively;
reducing glycaemic index by increasing the amount of resistant starch;
increasing protein quantity and quality and the concentration of iron and zinc and of vitamins B9 and C.
Red- and purple-fleshed potatoes contain anthocyanins, which are antioxidants and yellow and orange-fleshed potatoes contain carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect against macular eye degeneration.
"Genetic variation exists for all these traits among modern cultivars and Andean landraces, but some traits lack rapid screens for use in breeding. In addition, there are still some issues over the bioavailability of some nutrients," explains John E. Bradshaw from the James Hutton Institute in Dundee (United Kingdom).
Genetic engineering can be used to:
control glycoalkaloid concentrations and the potential formation of acrylamidele;
increase dietary fiber through the introduction of inulins from artichokes;
increase protein quality and quantity by tuber-specific expressions of a seed-protein, the albumin of Amaranthus hypochondriacus;
alter carotenoid biosynthesis to produce beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A (Golden Potatoes), or astaxanthin, a feed additive in aquaculture.
