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Potatoes regarding their consumption are a significant antioxidant source in human nutrition. The main potato antioxidants are polyphenols, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, tocopherols, α-lipoic acid, and selenium. The most contained polyphenolic antioxidants in potatoes are L-tyrosine, caffeic acid, scopolin, chlorogenic and cryptochlorogenic acid and ferulic acid. In red and purple potatoes are in addition contained acylated anthocyanins and pigmented potatoes display two to three times higher antioxidant potential in comparison with white-flesh potato. Red potato tubers contain glycosides of pelargonidin and peonidin, purple potatoes glycosides of malvidin and petunidin. New red and purple flesh potato varieties are breeded for their use in food and in the non-food industry. Anthocyanins of potatoes are also useful in the protection against potato blight.

Yacon [Smallanthus sonchifolia (Poepp. et Endl.) H. Robinson], a native plant of the Andes, belongs to the family Compositae (Asteraceae) and it represents a traditional crop of the original population of Peru used in traditional medicine. A major portion of tuberous root biomass is composed of water (> 70% of fresh weight). Saccharides, especially oligofructans, form 70-80% of dry weight, protein content ranges between 0.3% and 3.7%. Fructooligosaccharides of inulin type β (2→1), mainly oligomers (GF 2 -GF 16 ), are known for their ability to keep the colon healthy. Yacon sweetness is predominantly caused by fructose, which is by some 70% sweeter than sucrose. Other oligosaccharides are 1-kestose and nystose. Diabetics and persons suffering from digestive problems are recommended to consume yacon because its sugars are not available from the small intestine. The mean tuberous root composition per 100 g of fresh matter is 81.3, 13.8, 0.9, 1.0, 0.1 and 1.1 g of water, saccharides, fibre, proteins, lipids and ash, respectively. Mean mineral contents per 100 g of fresh matter are 334, 34, 12, 8.4, 0.4 and 0.2 mg of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium and iron, respectively. Vitamins B 1 , B 2 , C, β-carotene and polyphenols in the same weight are present at mean concentrations 0.07, 0.31, 5.0, 0.13 and 203 mg, respectively. Yacon can be considered an industrial crop, particularly as a source of inulin. The used forms are flour, syrup, extract from tuberous roots and moreover leaf extract for the preparation of yacon infusion with hypoglycaemic effect. In yacon leaves di-and sesquiterpenes with protective effects against insects are present, among them mainly ent-kaurenic acid (ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid) and its derivative -15-α-angeloyloxy-entkauren-19-oic acid 16-epoxide. Other components are polyphenolic antioxidants, esp. hydroxycinnamic acids and chlorogenic acid. A new antifungal melampolide -sesquiterpene lactone named sonchifolin, as well as three known melampolides, polymatin B, uvedalin and enhydrin, were isolated from leaf extracts of yacon. Three major phytoalexins were isolated: 4'-hydroxy-3'-(3-methylbutanoyl)acetophenone, 4'-hydroxy-3'-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)acetophenone and 5-acetyl-2-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)benzofuran.

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Polyphenolic antioxidant compounds were studied in three onion varieties (red -cv. Karmen, yellow -cv. Všetana and white -cv. Ala) regarding their total content and qualitative composition of flavonoid complex. The effects of temperature and storage period during onion storage were also studied. The total content of polyphenols was estimated spectrophotometrically with Folin-Ciocalteau's phenolic reagent and individual flavonoid components by HPLC method using Waters TM chromatograph on Watrex 250 × 4 mm Sepharon SGX C18 7μm column with gradient elution. The highest amount of polyphenolic compounds was found in red variety Karmen (108,300 mg/kg DM), the lowest amount in white variety Ala (26,445 mg/kg DM) while the yellow variety Všetana had average content of total polyphenolic compounds 65,210 mg/kg DM. An increase in total polyphenols during storage was found in red and yellow varieties, esp. during storage at a laboratory temperature (22°C). Among the flavonoid and polyphenolic compounds as major constituents spiraeoside (quercetin-4´-O-β-D-glucoside), rutin and quercetin and three other not identified compounds were found. Significant varietal differences were found. The compound with the highest content was spiraeoside (32,234 mg/kg DM in red cv. Karmen, 23,283 mg/kg DM in yellow cv. Všetana and 265 mg/kg DM in white cv. Ala). Rutin ranged from 15 mg/kg DM in cv. Ala to 157 mg/kg DM in cv. Karmen and similarly quercetin from 1 mg/kg DM in cv. Ala to 163 mg/kg DM in cv. Karmen. During storage an increase in flavonoids could be observed, esp. at a laboratory temperature compared to storage at a lower temperature.