Molecular Structures of the Stem Tuber Anthocyanins of Colored Potatoes and Their Coloring Effects on the Tubers

Abstract

This paper summarized the important achievements about the general characteristics of the molecular structures of the stem tuber anthocyanins of Colored potatoes and the basic coloring effects of the anthocyanins on the tubers. The various coloration patterns of the skins and/or flesh of Colored potato tubers result from the accumulation of the anthocyanins in the periderms, phelloderms and/or peripheral cortices of the tubers, and the tuber colors are fundamentally determined by the matching profiles of the six naturally occurring anthocyanidins, i.e., cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin and petunidin. Generally, the tuber anthocyanidins hold an O-glycosidic bond-linked rutinosyl at the C₃ site, and either a glucosyl linked by an O-glycosidic bond or no substituent group may exist at the C₅ site simultaneously. Furthermore, an E-monoacyl frequently exists at the C₃- rutinosyls or at the C₅-glucosyls of most tuber anthocyanins, and the phenolic acids acylating the tuber anthocyanins are often p-coumaric, ferulic and caffeic acids. The popular names of the p-coumaric acid derivatives of the malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin and petunidin of the tubers are Malvanin, Pelanin, Peonanin and Petanin, respectively. This review provides a reference for the exploration of the mechanism of the tuber coloration and the identification of the molecular structures of the stem tuber anthocyanins of Colored potatoes.