Chemical composition and nutritional evaluation of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), which is considered a pseudocereal or pseudograin, has been recognized as a complete food due to its protein quality. It has remarkable nutritional properties; not only from its protein content (15%) but also from its great amino acid balance. It is an important source of minerals and vitamins, and has also been found to contain compounds like polyphenols, phytosterols, and flavonoids with possible nutraceutical benefits. It has some functional (technological) properties like solubility, water-holding capacity (WHC), gelation, emulsifying, and foaming that allow diversified uses. Besides, it has been considered an oil crop, with an interesting proportion of omega-6 and a notable vitamin E content. Quinoa starch has physicochemical properties (such as viscosity, freeze stability) which give it functional properties with novel uses. Quinoa has a high nutritional value and has recently been used as a novel functional food because of all these properties; it is a promising alternative cultivar.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): composition, chemistry, nutritional, and functional properties.

Assessment of the nutritional composition of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

The prevalence of Celiac Disease (CD), an autoimmune enteropathy, characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, atrophy of intestinal villi and several clinical manifestations has increased in recent years. Subjects affected by CD cannot tolerate gluten protein, a mixture of storage proteins contained in several cereals (wheat, rye, barley and derivatives). Gluten free-diet remains the cornerstone treatment for celiac patients. Therefore the absence of gluten in natural and processed foods represents a key aspect of food safety of the gluten-free diet. A promising area is the use of minor or pseudo-cereals such as amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, sorghum and teff. The paper is focused on the new definition of gluten-free products in food label, the nutritional properties of the gluten-free cereals and their use to prevent nutritional deficiencies of celiac subjects.

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The Gluten-Free Diet: Safety and Nutritional Quality

Physical Properties of Quinoa Seeds

Quinoa has been an important grain crop in the Andes for many centuries, and now it is gaining popularity elsewhere in the world. In comparison with common cereals, quinoa is generally higher in protein, fat and fiber. Protein quality was shown to be high. Of equal importance is the hardiness of the plant. Unlike most other food crops, quinoa is drought resistant, grows at high altitudes and on poor sandy soil. Quinoa has one major shortcoming, however. It contains saponins, which are bitter and have antinutritional effects. To be edible, the grain must have the saponins removed. Quinoa has been used in many different food products. It has potential as an alternate crop for various areas of the world

L. Coulter

Papers

Quinoa - composition, nutritional value, food applications.