GLYCOALKALOID CONTENT OF EARLY POTATO VARIETIES

Samples of Swedish domestic early potatoes were collected from wholesa lers and analysed for their content of glycoalkaloids (GA), alpha-sola nine and alpha-chaconine, using a modified HPLC procedure. The varieti es included were, in order of increasing GA content; Maris Bard, Ukama , Provita, Evergood Eldorado, Maria, Early Puritan, Silla and Ulster C hieftain. The average total GA content (alpha-solanine and alpha-chaco nine combined) for the different varieties ranged from 51 to 221 mg kg (-1) fresh weight. Alpha-solanine constituted on average between 35 an d 41% of the GA detected. The GA concentrations in individual samples were in the range 31-344 mg kg(-1). The variety Ulster Chieftain accou nted for 88% of the samples above 200 mg kg(-1). The results obtained with tubers grown experimentally in field trials in two different year s were consistent with the findings for commercially grown potatoes in terms of GA content rank among varieties.