Abstract
The purpose of the review is to analyze the results of scientific research on the effect of antioxidant activity of potatoes on human health, to consider modern approaches to breeding potato with high antioxidant activity. Potato with brightly colored peel and tuber flesh is a source of the most important natural antioxidants (anthocyanins, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamins, etc.). The consumption of antioxidants with food on a regular basis protects a person from premature aging, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, slows down atherosclerotic processes, prevents cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, duodenal ulcer, arthritis, obesity, visual pathologies, various types of cancer and many other diseases, and also effectively strengthens the immune system. With the use of modern molecular genetic approaches in potato breeding the content of antioxidants can be increased several times (up to 2000–4000 mk/kg). The bases for such breeding are mainly South American forms with high content of anthocyanins and carotenoids. An increase in the efficiency of breeding based on the color of tuber flesh (red, blue, or violet) is correlated with the development of DNA markers to identify alleles of key genes of anthocyanin biosynthesis. The biosynthesis of anthocyanins in potatoes is mainly controlled by the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) transcription complex. Two main genes are associated with this trait StAN1 and StF3´5´H and the following enzymes: chalcon synthase (CHS); chalconlavanone isomerase (CHI); dihydroflavonol-4-reductases (DFR); flavonone-3-hydroxylases (F3H); flavonoid-3´- hydroxylases (F3ʹH); flavonoid-3´,5´-hydroxylases (F3´5´H); anthocyanidin synthases (ANS). Progress in the study of the molecular mechanisms of anthocyanin pigmentation, as well as the development of modern molecular genetic methods, will greatly facilitate many tasks of the breeding process when creating potato cultivars with a high content of antioxidants.