The lack of enzymic browning in the wild potato species Solanum hjertingii compared with commercial Solanum tuberosum varieties

Enzymic browning of tuber tissue was evaluated quantitatively for 50 genotypes, representing seven accessions, of Solanum hjertingii, a wild potato species from north-east Mexico, together with five commercial varieties of Solanum tuberosum with a known range of enzymic browning. Ninety-four percent of S. hjertingii clones examined showed less browning than the commercial varieties, with 66% exhibiting half the ‘potential browning’ (a measure of the total enzymic browning resulting from disruption of cellular compartmentalisation in that system) of cv. Maris Piper, a low enzymic browning cultivar. Of these clones, 18 showed no visual discoloration when sliced. Results clearly indicate that the lack of enzymic browning in S. hjertingii is a ‘true’ character. The efficiency of one subjective and two objective methods for obtaining different measures of enzymic browning was assessed. Potential browning of a rehydrated freeze-dried powder was adopted as the most efficient technique for screening enzymic browning.