Purple potatoes are also called black potatoes, and their English name is PurplePotato. The flesh of the potatoes is purple to deep purple. In addition to the nutrients of ordinary sweet potatoes, it is also rich in selenium and anthocyanins. In recent years, purple sweet potato has become very popular in the international and domestic markets, and its development prospects are very broad.

Purple sweet potato - morphological characteristics

The deep processing of purple sweet potato mainly involves the extraction of anthocyanins. Anthocyanin is a natural purple pigment additive that is safe and has no toxic side effects. Although it is more expensive than synthetic pigments, it is still popular in the international market. Purple sweet potatoes can also be peeled, dried, crushed and processed into whole powder. They are beautiful in color and rich in nutrients. They are excellent food processing raw materials and can be used as main ingredients and ingredients for various pastries. At present, South Korea imports about 500 tons of purple sweet potato powder from China every year. In addition, potato chips, frozen hash browns and vermicelli made from purple sweet potatoes are popular in the market for their rich nutrition and good taste.

Purple sweet potato - application value

In addition to the nutrients of ordinary sweet potatoes, it is also rich in selenium and anthocyanins. Purple sweet potato is rich in nutrients and has special health care functions. It contains about 20 kinds of protein, including 18 kinds of amino acids, which are easily digested and absorbed by the human body, including 8 kinds of vitamins such as vitamins C, B, and A, and more than 10 mineral elements such as phosphorus and iron. , contains a large amount of anthocyanins with high medicinal value. French scientist Dr. Masquelet discovered that anthocyanins are natural and powerful free radical scavengers.

Anthocyanins have preventive and therapeutic effects on more than 100 diseases and are known as the seventh essential nutrient after water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Anthocyanins are the most direct, effective and safe free radical scavengers discovered by the scientific community to prevent and treat diseases and maintain human health. Its ability to scavenge free radicals is 20 times that of vitamin C and vitamin C. 50 times that of E. Anthocyanins have a small molecular structure and are the only substances that can pass through the blood-brain barrier to remove free radicals and protect brain cells. At the same time, they can reduce some of the harm caused by antibiotics to the human body. Purple sweet potatoes will become one of the main raw materials of anthocyanins.

Purple sweet potato

Purple sweet potato has high cellulose content. This substance can increase the volume of feces, promote gastrointestinal motility, clean up the mucus, gas and putrefaction retained in the intestinal cavity, and expel Remove toxic substances and carcinogens in feces, keep stool smooth, improve the digestive tract environment, and prevent the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases. Zinc, iron, copper, manganese, calcium and selenium in purple sweet potato are all natural, and the iron and calcium content are particularly high. Selenium and iron are essential elements for the human body to resist fatigue, anti-aging, and replenish blood. They have good health care functions. Selenium is also the "anti-cancer king". It is easily absorbed by the human body and effectively remains in the serum, repairs the myocardium, and enhances the body's immunity. It can remove free radicals that produce cancer in the body, inhibit the synthesis of DNA in cancer cells and the division and growth of cancer cells, and prevent the occurrence of gastric cancer, liver cancer and other diseases.

The tender leaves at the stem tip of purple sweet potato are rich in vitamins, protein, trace elements, edible fiber and soluble non-oxidative substances. Regular consumption has the effects of weight loss, bodybuilding, fitness and cancer prevention. Therefore, black potato has good health care functions from the stem tips to the tender leaves to the tubers, and is currently the most recommended health food among pollution-free, green, and organic foods.

Purple sweet potato - pharmacological effects

1. Antioxidant effect

ShuFuruta et al. conducted experiments using 21 alcohol extracts extracted from potato flesh of different colors. , the results prove that purple potato anthocyanins have the strongest ability to scavenge tert-butyl peroxide free radicals, and this ability increases with the increase in the total phenolic content of sweet potatoes. At the same time, purple sweet potato anthocyanins can most effectively prevent lipid peroxidation caused by linoleic acid auto-oxidation.

2. Anti-mutation effect

Yoshimot et al. used Salmonella Typhimurium TA98 to evaluate the anti-mutation activity of four different color potato water extracts and found that purple potato anthocyanins can effectively inhibit heterocyclic Mutations caused by amines, etc. Two anthocyanins isolated from purple sweet potato have strong anti-mutagenic effects.

Purple sweet potato

3. Hepatoprotective effect

Animal experiments show that purple sweet potato beverage containing a large amount of anthocyanins can significantly inhibit liver damage caused by carbon tetrachloride Glutamic acid in mouse serum. The increase in oxalacetate aminotransferase (GOT) and glutamic acid-pyrogluconate aminotransferase (GTP), and has a certain inhibitory effect on the increase in thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactants and oxidized lipoproteins in serum and liver; However, the yellow-fleshed sweet potato drink cannot be used. Fredenck et al. administered 2.5 mL of 5% ethanol aqueous solution containing 1%, 5% and 10% anthocyanins/kg body weight to rats 5 days a week for 4 weeks. ; The rats were then administered 0.5 mL carbon tetrachloride/kg body weight. After 18 hours, the levels of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase in the serum were measured to be significantly lower than those of the control group who were only administered carbon tetrachloride, indicating that the color of the flowers Glycosides can inhibit carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury.

4. Effect on cardiovascular disease

Anthocyanins have the effect of reducing cardiovascular diseases. In in vitro experiments, anthocyanins can significantly inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein and the aggregation of platelets. These two substances are the main causes of atherosclerosis.

Purple sweet potato - nutritious recipe

Purple sweet potato

Purple sweet potato Mont Blanc

Ingredients: Purple sweet potato (sweet potato, sweet potato) 500 grams, 80ml of light cream, 40g of butter, about 76g of digestive biscuits (this is used to make the Mont Blanc biscuit base, you can put more biscuits if you like, but the butter should also be increased accordingly)

Purple sweet potatoes (sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes): about 2 to 3 medium-sized ones, more or less doesn’t matter

Light cream: about 1/3 of the box is used for this kind of packaging

Butter: You can add it as you use, as long as the digestive biscuits can be mixed evenly

Digestive biscuits: about 4 small packages (2 pieces in one package, 8 pieces max)

Method: Steam the sweet potatoes in advance, and then start making:

1. Melt butter over water (put butter in one bowl and place it in another large bowl with hot water)

2. Crush the digestive biscuits

3. Mix the crushed digestive biscuits and melted butter evenly

4. Line the inside of the cake mold (a small round lunch box is used) Cover with plastic wrap, spread the mixed cake crumbs, and flatten them

5. Peel the steamed sweet potatoes and press them into mashed potatoes

6. Whip the whipped cream

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7. Mix the mashed potatoes and whipped cream until no white cream is visible

8. Add the mixed mashed potatoes to the mold that was just lined with digestive biscuits. Fill it tightly and press it flat

9. Invert the mold and remove the plastic wrap (the upper layer you see here is actually the bottom of the cake, and you need to invert it again to make it underneath