Glycoalkaloids in Potato Plants and Tubers

The concentration of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) glycoalkaloids (PGA) (i.e., α-chaconine and α-solanine) in six different parts of plants and within slices cut at 1 mm in thickness from the outside to the inside of the tubers of both ‘May Queen’ and ‘Irish Cobbler’ potatoes were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The highest concentrations of PGA in both plants were found in the calyxes and petals. A large quantity of PGA in tubers of both cultivars was located within the first 1 mm from the outside surface, and decreased toward the center of the tuber. Thus, when cooking potato tubers, nearly all the PGA was removed by peeling the tissue 3-4 mm in thickness from the outside, including the periderm region.