Starch granule morphology varies with plant genotype and cultural practices. It also depends on the biochemistry of the chloroplast/amyloplast and the physiology of the plant. The major part of potato carbohydrate is present as starch.
Starch is the main component of potato accounting for 17.5% on a fresh weight basis. Raw potato is high in resistant starch because the starch is encapsulated in granules. This changes when potato is cooked and the starch is gelatinized and can be modified by further treatments.
Starch in potato contains 16-24% amylose, 70-80% amylopectin and several percent of an immediate substance called ‘thylmol-amylopectin’ which differs from amylose and amylopectin in structure and properties.
Cooking either peeled or an unpeeled potato increases the digestibility of potato starch. Potatoes judge to be adequately cooked at 25 to 30 min had slightly lower digestibly than those ‘overcooked’ at 40 min.
Starch in potato
