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The mineral profile was determined from commercial potato flour (Solanum tuberosum var. granola) and native potato flour samples (Solanum tuberosum var. arbolona negra and S. tuberosum var.arbolona rosada) collected in the town of Gavidia, Mérida state, Venezuela. Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) was used to determine Na, K, Mg, Ca Fe, Mn and Zn, while Cu was determined by using electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS). Three combinations of reagents for the digestion of potato flour (HNO3, HNO3/H2SO4 and HNO3/H2O2) were tested, being the mixture of HNO3/H2O2 the most suitable, achieving quantitative recovery (96 to 106 %) of the analytes. Additionally, a colorimetric method was used to determine the P content by visible molecular absorption spectroscopy. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean values of the concentrations of the elements in the analyzed samples (GP, BTAN, IPAN, BTAR, RHAN), where the factor was the potato variety. Significant differences between the values of the concentrations of K, Na, Ca, Cu and P in the native potatoes and the concentrations in the commercial variety Granola were observed, while, for some samples, non-significant differences between the concentrations of Mg, Fe, Zn and Mn in the native potato and the commercial variety Granola were observed. It is expected that once these genetically improved potatoes are incorporated into plots with well fertilized soils, they will be able to express their full potential in terms of chemical composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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