The variations of volatile and metabolite compounds in potato from different areas of China: the critical role of geographical factors

Abstract

Potato is an important food resource around the world. Potato cultivar Qingshu 9 is widely planted in China. To study the influence of geographical factors on potato composition, Qingshu 9 was planted in five areas of China and the resulting potatoes were collected and analysed. The results showed large differences in basic nutrients, volatile compounds, and metabolites between Qingshu 9 from different areas. The characteristic volatile and metabolite compounds in different areas were identified, such as 2-pentyl-Furan in J9 from Shanxi; methyl-cyclopentane in D9 from Yunnan; and ferulic acid in M9 from Inner Mongolia. The differences in volatile compounds were correlated with the shikimate pathway-induced aromatic amino acid synthesis. Geographical factors, such as soil pH, sunlight, and moisture, were significantly correlated with the volatile and metabolite compounds in Qingshu 9. Together, these results highlight the significant influence of cultivation region and geographical factors on the metabolic composition and flavor profiles of potatoes, providing reference for the optimization of regional farming practices and demand-oriented potato selection in the food industry.

Keywords

Potato / Qingshu 9 / Volatile compounds / Metabolite / Geographical factors

Author contributions

The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and design: Zhang W, Deng J; experimental processing: Li L, Zhao Y, Wang W; data collection: Xu Z, Wang X; analysis and interpretation of results: Zhang W, Huang T, Wang Q; draft manuscript preparation: Zhang W, Deng J, Yang H. All authors contributed to the discussion, reviewed the results, and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability

The data will be made available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by The Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ASTIP-IVFCAAS)

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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