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Potato is rich in nutrition, and can be vital in improving and enriching the diets of people. However, potatoes contain a natural secondary metabolite group, steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), which can cause human and animal toxicity at higher levels. In this study, we investigated the inhibition effect of film on SGA concentration in tuber during potato growth via a pot experiment in 2016 and a field experiment in 2017. Tubers were sampled every 15 days from flowering to harvest in the pot experiment, and were sampled after harvest in field experiment. The results showed that SGA concentration decreased gradually with the enlargement and maturation of potato tubers. In contrast to blank and white film treatments, the inhibition effect of black film on SGA concentration in tuber was remarkable, while the tuber yield per plant was similar between treatments. In the field experiment, the tuber SGA concentration mulching black film was significantly lower than that mulching white film and blank treatments, while the tuber yield per plant mulching black film among them was comparable. These results suggest that black film may be applied to the production to inhibit SGA concentration accumulation during growth, which is important for consuming potato tubers safely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Potato tubers contain undesirable steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), which have evoked global concern in terms of feed and food safety due to their toxic effects in humans. The cultivar Unica was exposed to a combination of light and wounding. SGA content among different tissues was analysed. Our results showed that SGA contents of tubers subjected to light was higher than that of intact tubers stored in darkness, and SGA content in the skin varied with time; however, SGA content in the flesh remained stable at a relatively low level. SGA content in the wound was higher than that of intact tubers. Importantly, light and wounding were shown to have synergistic effects on SGA content in the tuber, which only influenced SGA content within approximately 3 mm of the wound surface. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the reasonable and safe consumption of potatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]