Biomarkers of tuber intake.

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Biochemistry
• Food Science

Background:

• Tubers are staple foods, but their health impacts beyond energy and resistant starch remain debated.
• Accurate dietary intake assessment is essential for establishing evidence on tuber health effects.
• Current self-reporting methods for dietary intake are often imprecise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and identify potential biomarkers of food intake (BFIs) for common tubers and processed tuber products.
• To evaluate candidate BFIs based on standardized review protocols.
• To highlight the need for further validation of identified biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature on tuber intake biomarkers.
• Application of Biomarker of Food Intake Reviews (BFIRev) standardized protocols.
• Identification of candidate BFIs for potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other tubers.

Main Results:

• Candidate BFIs for heated potato products include α-chaconine, α-solanine, and solanidine.
• Peonidin and cyanidin derivatives are potential biomarkers for purple sweet potato.
• Linamarin is a putative biomarker for cassava intake.

Conclusions:

• Several candidate biomarkers for tuber intake have been identified, including glycoalkaloids for potatoes and linamarin for cassava.
• Further research is required to validate the specificity, reliability, and analytical performance of these biomarkers.
• Objective BFI measures can complement self-reported data for more accurate dietary assessment of tubers.