Ascorbic Acid and Protein Content of Potatoes in Relation to Tuber Anatomy

Localization of the nutrients ascorbic acid and protein in the tuber was investigated. Katahdin, Norking Russet, and Shepody potato cultivars were used in this study. Cortex and pith areas were compared for ascorbic acid and protein content. Ascorbic acid of all the three cultivars was significantly higher (p<0.01) in the pith than in the outer cortex region and the protein content was significantly higher (p<0.01) in the cortex than the pith area. The pith region was significantly (p<0.05) higher in nonprotein nitrogen than the cortex area. Since only 2% of the protein content of the entire tuber was located in the peel, peeling the tuber did not cause a significant loss of protein.