Chemical composition and protein quality of some local Andean food sources

Abstract

The chemical composition of tubers of Tropaeolum tuberosum, Oxalis tuberosa, Iliacus tuberosum and the seeds of Chenopodium quinua, Chenopodium padillicaule, Amaranthus caudatus and Lupinus mutabilis was studied. The protein efficiency ratios (PER) of quinua, amaranth and lupin were also investigated. The results show that the native Andean tubers constitute sources of highly digestible carbohydrates, whereas the cereal-like grains are characterized by a protein content higher than that found in cereals, and an excellent protein quality. The Andean lupin possesses the advantage of an extremely high protein and energy density, although protein quality is low; this advantage, however, can be overcome by mixing with other traditional Andean food crops. It can be concluded that diets based on well-combined local food sources constitute an inexpensive, ecologically useful and physiologically adequate contribution to combat widespread malnutrition in the Andean area.