Abstract
Potato virus Y (PVY), Potato virus S (PVS), and Potato virus M (PVM) infection of potato plants leads to decreased dry matter and starch content in tubers. Starch samples from potato tubers infected with PVY, PVS, and PVM had higher amylose content. Granules of starch isolated from potato tubers infected by PVS exhibit larger granules than starch granules isolated from tubers of healthy plants. In contrast, in the case of PVM and PVY infection, starch granules were significantly smaller in diameter. A decrease in the degree of crystallinity has been observed in all samples of starches obtained from the tubers of infected plants compared to starch isolated from tubers of healthy plants. A slight decrease in gelatinization temperature was noted for starch samples isolated from tubers infected by PVY and PVM, and a slight increase in gelatinization temperature for starch samples isolated from tubers infected by PVS compared to starch isolated from tubers of healthy plants. In all samples of starch obtained from tubers of infected plants, an increase in the value of gelatinization enthalpy was observed. Thus, it can be concluded that damage to potato plants by PVM and PVY leads to a significant decrease in the quality of starch in tubers. At the same time, infection by PVS had practically no considerable effect.