Abstract
Quinoa is an important crop for food security and food sovereignty in Ecuador. In this study, we evaluated the nutritional value, bioactive compounds, and antinutrient compounds of leaves and grains of the Ecuadorian quinoa variety Tunkahuan, and we identified significant differences between the nutrient content in the leaves and grains. The quinoa leaves presented a higher protein content than the grains, as well as inorganic nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Both the grains and leaves had an appreciable phenolic content. In addition, the quinoa grains presented a higher content of the antinutrient saponin than the leaves, while the leaves contained more nitrates and oxalates than the grains. Thus, quinoa leaves and grains exhibit excellent potential for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Highlights
IntroductionQuinoa is an important and environmental stress-tolerant pseudocereal with high nutritional value and a globally promoted cultivar for human consumption and nutrition [1]
Quinoa is an important and environmental stress-tolerant pseudocereal with high nutritional value and a globally promoted cultivar for human consumption and nutrition [1].Quinoa plants, originating from the Andean mountains in South America, have a large scale of biological diversity [2]
The crude protein content in leaves was higher than quinoa grains
Summary
Quinoa is an important and environmental stress-tolerant pseudocereal with high nutritional value and a globally promoted cultivar for human consumption and nutrition [1]. Quinoa plants, originating from the Andean mountains in South America, have a large scale of biological diversity [2]. After being abandoned in favor of old-world crops, it is starting to be rediscovered by modern scientific approaches [1]. Quinoa is a complete food with high-nutritional value due mainly to its high content of good quality protein and are called “the mother grain” [3]. The Ecuadorian varieties of quinoa contain more fat and protein than other Andean varieties. Quinoa’s superiority over other grains (maize, wheat, and barley, among others) results from its richer protein, lipid, and ash content. Albumins and globolins represent the major storage quinoa proteins
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