Abstract
Interest in gluten-free grains is increasing, together with major incidences of celiac disease in the last years. Since to date, knowledge of the nutritional and bioactive compounds profile of alternative gluten-free grains is limited, we evaluated the content of water-soluble (thiamine and riboflavin) and liposoluble vitamins, such as carotenoids and tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), of gluten-free minor cereals and also of pseudocereals. The analysed samples showed a high content of bioactive compounds; in particular, amaranth, cañihua and quinoa are good sources of vitamin E, while millet, sorghum and teff (Eragrostis tef, or William’s Lovegrass) are good sources of thiamine. Moreover, millet provides a fair amount of carotenoids, and in particular of lutein. These data can provide more information on bioactive compounds in gluten-free grains. The use of these grains can improve the nutritional quality of gluten-free cereal-based products, and could avoid the monotony of the celiac diet.
Highlights
Celiac disease is a chronic systemic, autoimmune disorder in genetically-predisposed individuals, triggered by exposure to dietary gluten, and resulting in mucosal inflammation, villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia [1]
The sample (5 mL) was loaded into a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge, and the cartridge was washed with 0.05 M NH4 OAc and, the vitamins were eluted with 5 mL mobile phase
Significant differences between white and pigmented quinoas were found for total carotenoids, due to the different lutein amounts, as observed by Tang et al [35], who indicate a direct correlation between the higher total carotenoid content and the darkness of the seed coat
Summary
Celiac disease is a chronic systemic, autoimmune disorder in genetically-predisposed individuals, triggered by exposure to dietary gluten, and resulting in mucosal inflammation, villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia [1]. Gluten-free alternative sources studied in this work include minor cereals (sorghum, teff, millet and wild rice), and pseudocereals (quinoa, cañihua, chia, and amaranth) These grains are mainly consumed as flours and seeds, which can be added to preparations such as soups, yogurt, cakes, breads and others cereal-based products; any commercialisation of these products is still quite limited in the Italian market. Thiamine (B1) is one of the major water-soluble vitamins, as it plays an important role as a co-factor of several key enzymes involved in the carbohydrate metabolism and defence mechanism [17] It can be found in moderate amounts in all foods: Nuts and seeds, legumes, wholegrain/enriched cereals and breads, as well as pork [18]. Data coming from this study may be included in food nutrient databases
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