Abstract
Seeds with colored testa (seed coat) contain high concentrations of polyphenolic compounds that exhibit high levels of antioxidant activity. Common processing procedures, such as cooking and baking, decrease the levels of these bioactive compounds and consequently, overall antioxidant activity. Here, the effects of baking and cooking processes were examined on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and ferric-reducing ability of plasma antioxidant activity (FRAP AA) of red and yellow quinoa seeds. Our results indicate that red quinoa seed contains significantly higher levels of TPC, TFC and FRAP AA than yellow quinoa seeds. In addition, cooked and baked quinoa seeds retain most of their TPC, TFC and FRAP AA in the final product. Thus, red quinoa seeds processed by these two methods might be considered a functional food, in addition to its traditional role of providing dietary proteins. Due to their high antioxidant activity, red quinoa seeds might also contribute significantly to the management and/or prevention of degenerative diseases associated with free radical damage.
Highlights
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is one of the most important Andean grain crops, classified as a pseudocereal used principally in the same manner as wheat and rice
Our results indicate that red quinoa seed contains significantly higher levels of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and ferric-reducing ability of plasma antioxidant activity (FRAP AA) than yellow quinoa seeds
Due to their high antioxidant activity, red quinoa seeds might contribute significantly to the management and/or prevention of degenerative diseases associated with free radical damage
Summary
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is one of the most important Andean grain crops, classified as a pseudocereal used principally in the same manner as wheat and rice. Like other grain seeds, quinoa must be baked or cooked prior to consumption These processing procedures improve the flavor and palatability of the food product, but they might decrease the levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of these foods, as has been shown for other grain seeds, including quinoa [14,15,16,17]. To explore their potential use as functional foods, we determined the effects of baking and cooking conditions on the levels of bioactive compounds (polyphenols and flavonoids) and antioxidant activity in vitro, in red and yellow quinoa seeds
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