Pseudo Cereals Research Articles

Life cycle assessment and energy return of investment of nutritionally-enhanced snacks supplemented with Spanish quinoa

The trend in the consumption of unconventional, more nutritious foods is leading to the globalization and decentralization of their production, giving rise to the adaptation and innovation of traditional products to make them healthier and more sustainable. This article focuses on quinoa and aims to estimate the environmental impacts of its production adapted to the Spanish conditions and of potential derived snacks enriched with this pseudo cereal by applying conventional and nutritional life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies. Besides, an exhaustive study of the energy flows by measuring the cumulative energy demand and the calculation of the energy return of investment (EROI) is carried out to assess the most impactful aspect of the processing industries. The application of cradle to gate LCA revealed that polluting emissions of Spanish quinoa are rather similar to those of the Andean grain, with an impact on climate change of 1.03 kg CO2 eq./kg. However, high resource footprints were obtained, for instance a water deprivation potential of 60 m3/kg due to the scarcity in this country. Besides, the consideration of a nutrient profile model as functional unit led to the conclusion that quinoa-based snacks are generally more environmentally sustainable than their conventional counterparts in terms of climate change, resources consumption or water degradation. EROI scores were relatively low for all options, with only between 1.77 and 4.35 % of the energy invested returned, which evidences the unsustainable agricultural practices and low efficiency of processing units. Based on this research, producers can reorient production systems in support of nature, and consumers are able to guide their choices towards improved eating patterns.

Effect of green extraction techniques on the quality and functional attributes of protein isolates from cereals and pseudo cereals: a review

SummaryCereals and pseudo cereals (CPC) constitute the main staple diet of the global population. These are great source of carbohydrate, however, ignored as a potential source of protein. Cereals and Pseudo cereals can provide adequate amount of protein if taken in right quantity. Concerns over foods security, nutritional deficiencies, chronic hunger, and sustainability have brought attention to sustainable and alternative sources of protein derived from food and its byproducts. This review explains the extraction of protein from different cereals and pseudo cereals sources, novel extraction techniques, e.g., microwave assisted, ultrasound, pulsed electric field or high‐pressure processing etc., as well as pre‐treatment efficiencies of the recovery of protein, effects of process parameters on the amount of protein extractions, its isolations and possible utilisation in diversified fields. Commercial attempts have been made to extract and use the protein from CPC, but they remain largely underutilised and generally applicable to a small‐scale level. According to the current investigation, protein extraction from CPC is not only an extensive integration of extraction perspectives, process parameters, yield potential and quality, but also should focus on the nutritional aspects, functionality and bioavailability of the separated protein as a desirable dietary component is in the near future.

Grains in a Modern Time: A Comprehensive Review of Compositions and Understanding Their Role in Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer.

Globally, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Cancer are the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and are considered to be two of the most significant public health concerns of the 21st century. Over the next two decades, the global burden is expected to increase by approximately 60%. Several observational studies as well as clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of consuming whole grains to lower the risk of several chronic non-communicable diseases including T2D and cancer. Cereals grains are the primary source of energy in the human diet. The most widely consumed pseudo cereals include (quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) and cereals (wheat, rice, and corn). From a nutritional perspective, both pseudo cereals and cereals are recognized for their complete protein, essential amino acids, dietary fibers, and phenolic acids. The bran layer of the seed contains the majority of these components. Greater intake of whole grains rather than refined grains has been consistently linked to a lower risk of T2D and cancer. Due to their superior nutritional compositions, whole grains make them a preferred choice over refined grains. The modulatory effects of whole grains on T2D and cancer are also likely to be influenced by several mechanisms; some of these effects may be direct while others involve altering the composition of gut microbiota, increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, and lowering harmful bacteria, increasing insulin sensitivity, lowering solubility of free bile acids, breaking protein down into peptides and amino acids, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and other beneficial metabolites that promote the proliferation in the colon which modulate the antidiabetic and anticancer pathway. Thus, the present review had two aims. First, it summarized the recent knowledge about the nutritional composition and bioactive acids in pseudo cereals (quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) and cereals (wheat, rice, and corn); the second section summarized and discussed the progress in recent human studies, such as observational (cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies) and intervention studies to understand their role in T2D and cancer including the potential mechanism. Overall, according to the scientific data, whole grain consumption may reduce the incidence of T2D and cancer. Future studies should carry out randomized controlled trials to validate observational results and establish causality. In addition, the current manuscript encourages researchers to investigate the specific mechanisms by which whole grains exert their beneficial effects on health by examining the effects of different types of specific protein, dietary fibers, and phenolic acids that might help to prevent or treat T2D and cancer.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling of chia and quinoa seeds in comparison with wheat and oat.

With an increasing interest in healthy and affordable cereal intake, efforts are made toward exploiting underutilized cereals with high nutritional values. The current study aims to explore the metabolome diversity in 14 cultivars of chia and quinoa collected from Germany, Austria, and Egypt, compared with wheat and oat as major cereals. The samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Multivariate data analysis (MVA) was employed for sample classification and markers characterization. A total of 114 metabolites were quantified (sugars, alcohols, organic and amino acids/nitrogenous compounds, fatty acids/esters), but the inorganic and phenolic acids were only identified. Fatty acids were the major class followed by amino acids in quinoa and chia. Chia and oats were richer in sucrose. Quinoa encompassed higher amino acids. Quinoa and chia were rich in essential amino acids. Higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids especially omega 6 and omega 9 were detected in quinoa versus omega 3 in chia compared with oat and wheat, whereas ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio of chia was the lowest. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive metabolite profiling of these pseudo cereals. Quinoa and chia, especially red chia, are more nutritionally valuable compared with oat and wheat because of their compositional profile of free amino acids, organic acids, and essential fatty acids, besides their low ω6/ω3 fatty acid ratio. Such results pose them as inexpensive alternative to animal proteins and encourage their inclusion in infant formulas.

Fusarium amaranthi sp. nov. from Amaranth Is an Emergent Species Closely Related to F. circinatum.

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp. L) is not native to South Korea but is cultivated in small scales for ornamental purposes as well as leafy vegetables and pseudo cereals. In this study, a new species within the genus Fusarium was isolated from amaranth, showing stem rot symptoms from a farmer field in Hwaseong, South Korea. The disease is characterized by dark-brown spots with black borders, leading to withering. Phylogenetic analysis-based concatenated sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), beta-tubulin (tub2), calmodulin (cmdA), RNA polymerase largest subunit (RPB1), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes revealed that the obtained isolates formed a distinct clad within the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex and is closely related to F. circinatum. Cultural and morphological characteristics and pathogenicity on healthy amaranth plants (stem and leaves) were examined. The isolates readily differentiated from F. circinatum based on one- to five-septate macroconidia and the absence of sterile hyphae. Based on molecular and morphological characteristics, this fungus is demonstrated to be a new species and is described here as F. amaranthi, the causal agent of stem rot of amaranth in South Korea.

Cultivating Resilience: Disease Resistance Screening of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) Genotypes in India's Semi-tropical Belt

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) is a major pseudo cereal, the comprehensive exploration of buckwheat genotypes in the semi-tropical climatic region of India, reveals significant genetic variability among the genotypes for a range of biometrical features, underlining the potential for genetic improvement in this crop. Notably, traits such as days to maturity, and economic yield demonstrate substantial genetic potential for enhancement through targeted breeding programs, exhibiting relatively high genetic advancement values, indicating their potential for effective improvement through breeding programs. Disease resistance, as assessed by the percentage disease index (PDI) of chlorotic leaf spot and brown leaf spot, also reveals noteworthy scope for improvement, crucial for sustaining buckwheat cultivation in disease-prone regions. A correlation analysis uncovers intricate relationships between agronomic traits and disease parameters, with the observed positive correlation between plant height (PH) and economic yield (EY) suggesting that taller buckwheat plants may have a slight advantage in terms of yield, and the negative correlation between test weight (TW) and disease severity, both for chlorotic leaf spot (PDI CL) and brown leaf spot (PDI BL), underscores the potential for selecting genotypes with higher test weights as a means to enhance disease resistance. Identification of genotypes with low disease susceptibility offers promising avenues for disease-resistant buckwheat cultivation. Understanding the genetic parameters and disease dynamics presented in this study would be proved invaluable in developing resilient buckwheat varieties, ensuring food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture in the region opening doors to effective disease management strategies and improved crop productivity in buckwheat cultivation.

Improving the Nutritional Value and Physical Properties of Gluten-Free Mushroom Soup by Substituting Rice Flour with Quinoa Seed Flour

Gluten-free products were initially for people with gluten-related disorders but are now popular with regular consumers. Research is investigating the health benefits of other gluten-free pseudo cereals, like quinoa, with higher nutritional value. This study aimed to explore the impact of substituting 30% rice flour (RF) in gluten-free mushroom instant dry soup with quinoa seed flour (QSF) at different levels on its nutritional, physicochemical, sensory characteristics, and the antioxidant activity. The results showed that replacing RF with QSF led to a significant improvement in the nutritional profile of the soup, with a linear increase in crude protein, fat, ash, crude fiber, total polyphenol, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity levels as the substitution rate increased. Moreover, macro- and microelements and essential amino acids increased significantly in the soup samples by adding QSF instead of RF, from 10 to 30%, compared to the control, which contained 30% of RF. However, the other total carbohydrate content decreased with the rise in the QSF concentration in the soup. In addition, substituting RF with QSF improved the soup samples’ rehydration ratio and total soluble solids. However, the color parameters (a* and b*) were increased with a decrease in L*. The sensory analysis revealed that the maximum substitution rate of QSF maintained the highest consumer acceptability, odor, flavor, texture, and appearance of the gluten-free mushroom instant soup samples. In conclusion, adding QSF to non-gluten soups improves their physical and chemical characteristics, nutritional impact, and organoleptic properties due to phytochemicals.

Ethnopharmacology, Nutritional Value, Therapeutic Effects, Phytochemistry, and Toxicology of Salvia hispanica L.: A Review.

The purpose of this review was to emphasize the nutritional value, and pharmacological and phytochemical properties of Salvia hispanica, as well as its toxicological evaluation. Salvia hispanica L. (S. hispanica), also called chia seeds, is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is a species of medicinal and dietary plant used since ancient times by the Maya and Aztecs. Its product is an indehiscent dry fruit that is commonly called a seed. It is utilized for its health benefits and uses in cooking. The study aimed to investigate the pharmacological, phytochemical, and toxicological properties of S. hispanica seeds. The research also attempted to explore and compile all existing knowledge and data on these seeds' nutritional value and medical applications. The current review was conducted using numerous scientific databases, including Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, etc. The correct plant name was verified from plantlist.org. The results of this search were interpreted, analyzed, and documented based on the obtained bibliographic information. S. hispanica is a pseudo cereal that is consumed by the world's population because of its preventive, functional, and antioxidant characteristics, attributable to the presence of lipids, dietary fiber, protein, phenolic compounds, vitamins, and minerals. According to research, chia offers hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypersensitive, anti-obesity, and cardioprotective properties. Chia consumption has grown because of its favorable benefits on obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. These advantages are mostly due to the high concentration of essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, antioxidants, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamins, carotenoids, and minerals found in this seed. Based on the beneficial components, chia seeds have enormous potential in the areas of health, food, animal feed, medicines, and nutraceuticals. Finally, toxicological investigations have indicated the greater doses of chia seed extracts as safe. The current evaluation has focused on the distribution, chemical composition, nutritional value, and principal uses of S. hispanica in order to determine future research requirements and examine its pharmacological applications through clinical studies.

Vegan diet - alternative protein sources as potential allergy risk

ZusammenfassungBackground: As a vegan diet is per definition a plant-based diet, consumers rely on plant protein sources in order to substitute animal proteins. Plant protein sources commonly used in this context are the following: cereals, like wheat (Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum), oat flakes; pseudo cereals like quinoa; nuts and oil seeds like cashew (Anacardium occidentale), hazelnut (Corylus avellana), walnut (Juglans regia); seeds like psyllium seeds (Plantago ovata), sesame (Sesamum indicum), and chia seed (Salvia hispanica).Methods: In order to assess the allergy risk posed by vegan diet, a literature search focusing on the composition of this particular diet and whether the respective foods are potentially allergenic was performed.Results: At first glance, it is evident for allergologists that these protein sources are well-known allergen sources. Particularly nuts and legumes harbour storage proteins, oleosins, and lipid trans- fer proteins that as such are associated with severe allergic reactions to food. In addition, there is increasing evidence that the simultaneous consumption of several of these foods may produce a summation effect where many single allergens of high allergenic potential sum up, thereby inducing anaphylaxis. Furthermore, food processing - or the lack of it - puts patients with pollen-associated food allergy at risk to react to some of the plant foods used in vegan diets.Conclusion: Therefore, individuals with a history of atopy should be educated regarding the allergy risk of a vegan diet.Cite this as Jappe U. Vegan diet - alternative protein sources as potential allergy risk. Allergo J Int 2023;32:251-7https://doi.org/10.1007/s40629-023-00248-7

Variations in chemical composition of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) as a result of different environmental conditions.

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a pseudo cereal that is gaining interest in the world. The chemical profile of common buckwheat determines its high nutritional and health-promoting value. The accumulation of these valuable ingredients depends on many factors, such as: variety, location of cultivation and related weather and agrotechnical conditions. Due to the growing interest in common buckwheat as a natural plant material for food production, it is important to know the factors affecting the quantitative and qualitative composition of its grains. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of the genotype (G), environment (E) and G × E interaction on the content of nutrients (protein, starch, ash, lipids) and bioactive components [dietary fiber (DF), total phenolic content (TPC)] in the common buckwheat grains. The study covered four cultivars grown in three locations for three consecutive vegetation seasons (2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019). Based on the obtained results, a significant influence of the environment and G × E interaction on the content of the studied parameters was found. The greatest impact on the diversity of the content of nutrients had environmental conditions, which in the case of protein and ash determined these features in more than 80%, and in the case of starch, 70%. With regard to bioactive compounds, the greatest influence of the environment was observed for the amount of TPC (78%), lignin (51%) and the DF complex (56%). The obtained results are useful for breeders working on expanding the pool of common buckwheat genotypes, stable in changing environmental conditions. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Multivariate analysis for yield and yield-related traits of amaranth genotypes from Ethiopia

The genus Amaranthus is one of the few dicotyledonous, non-grass mesophytes that use specialized C4 annuals or short-lived perennials to produce significant amounts of edible small-seeded pseudo cereals. In this study, we characterized the genetic diversity of 120 genotypes of amaranths collected from diverse amaranth-growing regions of Ethiopia using multivariate analysis of yield and yield-related traits. The experiments were carried out at Hawassa University, in the years 2020 and 2021. The experimental design was set up using an alpha lattice design and replicated two times. The collected data were examined for 24 descriptors. Principal component analysis showed that the first six principal components with eigenvalues greater than one contributed 80.41% of the variability. However, the first two principal components explained 52.42% of the total variation. The highest contributing traits in the first component were days to flowering, basal stem diameter, plant height at flowering, plant height at maturity, auxiliary inflorescence length, number of branches, terminal inflorescence lateral length, days to maturity, terminal inflorescence stalk length, leaf number, leaf length, top lateral branch length. The traits with the greatest weight on the second component were leaf area, basal lateral branch length, leaf length, and leaf width, grain filling period, grain sinking filling rate, and grain yield. Therefore, selection based on these traits would be effective for yield improvement in amaranth genotypes. Additionally, the hierarchical clustering grouped all the genotypes into five clusters. The pairwise generalized squared distance (D2) among the five clusters based on Mahalanobis's D2 statistics revealed the maximum and highly significant genetic distance was observed between II and III (277.79), while the minimum inter-cluster distance observed between clusters I and II (39.50). The findings suggest that amaranth genotypes in Ethiopia have a lot of genetic variation, which might be used for future breeding and ought to be conserved.

Vegan diet—alternative protein sources as potential allergy risk

Abstract Background As a vegan diet is per definition a plant-based diet, consumers rely on plant protein sources in order to substitute animal proteins. Plant protein sources commonly used in this context are the following: cereals, like wheat (Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum), oat flakes; pseudo cereals like quinoa; nuts and oil seeds like cashew (Anacardium occidentale), hazelnut (Corylus avellana), walnut (Juglans regia); seeds like psyllium seeds (Plantago ovata), sesame (Sesamum indicum), and chia seed (Salvia hispanica). Methods In order to assess the allergy risk posed by vegan diet, a literature search focusing on the composition of this particular diet and whether the respective foods are potentially allergenic was performed. Results At first glance, it is evident for allergologists that these protein sources are well-known allergen sources. Particularly nuts and legumes harbour storage proteins, oleosins, and lipid transfer proteins that as such are associated with severe allergic reactions to food. In addition, there is increasing evidence that the simultaneous consumption of several of these foods may produce a summation effect where many single allergens of high allergenic potential sum up, thereby inducing anaphylaxis. Furthermore, food processing—or the lack of it—puts patients with pollen-associated food allergy at risk to react to some of the plant foods used in vegan diets. Conclusion Therefore, individuals with a history of atopy should be educated regarding the allergy risk of a vegan diet.

Formulation and evaluation of papad developed with partial replacement of rice flour with buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) flour

Buckwheat is one of the pseudo cereals, which goes by the scientific name The Buckwheat has many medicinal properties, it reduces Gastro-intestinal disorder and it also helps to reduce diabetes because of its low glycemic index. Papad is a traditional savory food also known as appalam, papadam, is a popular tasty food item in Indian dietary science.In this study buckwheat papad was prepared by using different concentrations of buckwheat with the replacement of rice (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) and labeled as B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 and B6.These formulations were analyzed for sensory attributes (n=30) by semi-trained panelists. Proximate analysis was carried out using standard A.O.A.C. methods.When the papad was evaluated for its sensory attributes, it was observed that the incorporation of buckwheat of 40% showed similar acceptability on par with control, whereas 80 and 100% replacement had lower scores in terms of overall acceptability.Papad prepared with 40% replacement of buckwheat was used for nutritional analysis, which was rich in protein, fiber, & minerals like, calcium, and iron content when compared to the control. Better nutritional profile of pseudo cereal papad makes it superior compared to traditional rice papad.

Ethnographic survey on cereal and pseudocereal in Bangladesh perspective

Numerous studies have proven that cereal and pseudo cereal could be a great source of polyphenols that help to prevent different lifestyle diseases like hyperlipidemia. The ethnographic survey represents production, uses and consumption of cereal in Bangladesh due to well-developed agronomy. On the other hand pseudo cereal (buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth and chia) production, consumption and research actions are limited. This study aimed to conduct an ethno-graphic survey of local cereals and pseudo grains will provide the knowledge and current information of their availability and uses in Bangladesh for advance research. A qualitative, inductive, exploratory and longitudinal study was conducted. Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and Bangladesh integrated Household Survey (BIHS) investigated that people intake maximum 459 g and 33.5 g per capita rice and wheat in National level. Approximately 85% of black rice, 80% of red rice and 99% of buckwheat were sold by local producers, identified by focus group discussion. On the other hand 100% of experimental quinoa and chia production were used for research purpose. Serious studies on Buckwheat, chia, millets, oat and sorghum are conducting for their excellent nutritional value. The government of Bangladesh conducted various developmental, agricultural, food and nutrition security programs which indicate a positive social and political impact on the farming system. In spite of having Governmental support, good agricultural practices, huge health and agro-economic benefits, pseudo cereal production, distribution, use and consumption data are very scanty in Bangladesh compared to other cereals.

Influence of different types of soils on the growth and yield of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Wild.)

Quinoa is a resilient high-yielding pseudo cereal, gaining attention because of its high nutritional value, strong growth potential, and tremendous source of essential amino acids, micronutrients, vitamins, phenolic compounds, and minerals. The main aim of this investigation was to find the best suitable soil type for maximizing the growth and yield of Quinoa. The pot study was undertaken at the Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during the Kharif 2022 season. Eight soil samples (clay loam soils of wetlands of TNAU, sandy loam soils of eastern block of TNAU, sandy loam soils of Mettupalayam, sandy clay loam soils of 36 B eastern block of TNAU, sandy clay loam soils of 37 B eastern block of TNAU, clay loam soils of Ooty, sandy clay loam soils of Govindanaickenpalayam and sandy clay loam soils of Annur) were collected round Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and tested in a complete randomized design with three replications. The pot study results revealed that growth parameters viz. Plant height (81.5 cm), number of leaves plant-1 (164.8), leaf area (317.7 cm2), number of branches plant-1 (38.0) and dry matter production (22.78 g) were significantly higher in the clay loam soils of Ooty than all other soil types. Similarly, yield attributes such as the number of panicles plant-1 (21.7), panicle length (13.08 cm), number of grains panicle-1 (3050) and grain yield plant-1 (9.60 g) of Quinoa were also higher in the same clay loam soils followed by that in sandy clay loam soils of Govindanaickenpalayam. Red soils of Mettupalayam had shown the lowest growth, yield and yield attributes of Quinoa. Based on the above results, it was concluded that the clay loam soil of Ooty was the best suited for cultivating Quinoa crops.

POSSIBLE REVOLUTIONARY SUBSTITUTE TO WHEAT: A REVIEW ON NUTRIENT RICH AND HEALTHY DIET DEVELOPMENT BY PSEUDO CEREALS

People of modern age are very health and diet conscious. Various plants have been used as source of nutrition by human beings. Cereals have been one of them. But due to health problems (Celiac disease, WDEIA and baker’s asthma) and allergens present in cereals such as by wheat gluten, people are looking for alternative diet. Population is increasing day by day and to provide them a healthy nutritious diet free of allergens is uphill task. Researchers are looking to exploit various alternative plant sources. Recent findings suggest that pseudo cereals are best alternative to wheat. Buckwheat, Amaranth and Quinoa (pseudo cereals) were underutilized crops. Now, people are gaining more interest in Pseudo cereals for their excellent nutrition profile and gluten free products. They contain essential amino acids, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, minerals, vitamins and other important biological compounds in their nutrition profile. Important biological compounds present in pseudo cereals like phenolics impart beneficial health impacts on human beings. Keeping in view the extra ordinary benefits of consuming pseudo cereals, they must be grown at commercial level. It will make sure availability of diet full of nutrition and free from health risks.

Food Processing Technologies Aspects on Plant-Based Milk Manufacturing: Review

The emergence of immune and non-immune related diseases such as lactose intolerance and milk allergy has contributed to the milk consumption pattern changes over the last decades. Moreover, the problem with calorie concern, a saturated fatty acid in dairy milk, and the emergence of vegan diets have further shifted consumer choices to dairy milk alternatives. Plant-based milk is the liquid part extracted from plants such as legumes, nuts, cereals, seeds, and pseudo cereals. It is regarded as a replacement for dairy milk and perceived as a healthier product due to the presence of bioactive compounds. However, the nutritional content, sensory properties, and stability of the products are the main drawbacks of plant-based milk, as these properties are very different compared to dairy milk. Application of food processing technologies in plant-based milk production have been applied to ensure the quality of the final product. New technologies such as non-thermal processing have been applied to address issues related to the quality of plant-based milk. This article reviewed the technological aspects of plant-based milk production, including advanced processing technologies.

Formulation and Quality Evaluation of Breakfast Flakes Produced from Blends of Maize (Zea mays) and Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) Flour

The study aimed at the production and evaluation of breakfast cereals (flakes) formulated from composite blends of corn (Zea mays) flour and quinoa seed flour (Chenopodium quinoa); a pseudo cereal that has recently gained the interest of researchers due to its unique functional properties. Breakfast flakes were developed from formulations of WCF (100% whole corn flour); CQF (90:10 corn/quinoa flour); and QCF (50:50 corn/quinoa flour). The flakes were evaluated for their organoleptic acceptability, nutritional composition and functional properties. The result of the sensory evaluation showed that WCF was most acceptable in colour (4.90 \(\pm\)0.32) and was not significantly different (p>0.05) from CQF (4.10 \(\pm\)0.88). In terms of taste, texture, and aroma no significant differences (p>0.05) were recorded among all flakes blend. Overall, WCF was rated highest in acceptability at a mean score of 4.80 \(\pm\)0.42. However, QCF and CQF competed favorably with WCF in organoleptic quality. The result of the proximate analysis showed that compared with the control (WCF) which had a protein content of 7.36 \(\pm\)0.31%, the inclusion of quinoa enhanced the protein content in QCF and CQF at 9.40 \(\pm\)0.35% and 9.64 \(\pm\)0.03% respectively. Crude fibre, an essential component of functional foods was significantly enhanced with the inclusion of quinoa. In comparism with the control (9.02 \(\pm\)0.13%), the crude fibre content of CQF and QCF were 11.99 \(\pm\)0.12% and 15.99 \(\pm\)0.56% respectively. An increased inclusion of quinoa resulted in a corresponding decrease in carbohydrate (CHO) content as expected. The lowest CHO content was observed in QCF (49.66 \(\pm\)0.57%); while the highest CHO content was observed in WCF (62.50 \(\pm\)0.45%). There was significant difference in all the functional properties observed except for the bulk density. Quinoa fortification of corn flakes resulted in increased water absorption capacity (WAC) and oil absorption capacity (OAC). Hence QCF had the highest WAC and OAC at 35.33 \(\pm\)0.29% and 14.97 \(\pm\)0.15% respectively. In addition, QCF had the lowest emulsification capacity and swelling capacity at 41.43 \(\pm\)0.38% and 338.17 \(\pm\)0.19% respectively. The inclusion of quinoa in flakes could be beneficial as a breakfast cereal useful in human health and nutrition.

De novo SNP calling reveals the genetic differentiation and morphological divergence in genus Amaranthus

Amaranth species (Amaranthus spp.) serve as pseudo cereals and also as traditional leafy vegetables worldwide. In addition to high vigor and richness in nutrients, drought and salinity tolerance makes amaranth a promising vegetable to acclimatize to the effects of global climate change. The World Vegetable Center gene bank conserves ∼1,000 amaranth accessions, and various agronomic properties of these accessions were recorded during seed regeneration over decades. In this study, we verified the taxonomic annotation of the germplasm based on a 15K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) set. Given that the yield components of grain amaranth are different from those of leaf amaranth, we observed that grain amaranth species presented larger inflorescences and earlier flowering than leaf amaranth species. Dual-purpose amaranth showed larger leaves than leaf amaranth and later flowering than grain amaranth, which seemed reasonable because farmers can harvest more leaves during the prolonged vegetable stage, which also provides recovery time to enrich grain production. Considering frequent interspecific hybridization among species of the grain amaranth complex, we performed an interspecific genome-wide association study (GWAS) for days to flowering, identifying a AGL20/SOC1 homolog. Another GWAS using only A. tricolor L. accessions revealed six candidate genes homologous to lba1, bri1, sgs1, and fca. These homologous genes were involved in the regulation of flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. This study revealed the usefulness of genotypic data for species demarcation in the genus Amaranthus and the potential of interspecific GWAS to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) across different species, opening up the possibility of targeted introduction of specific genetic variants into different Amaranthus species.

Processing Condition and Properties of Protein Isolates from Mung Bean (Vigna radiata) and Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd)

Mung bean and quinoa are good sources of protein from legumes and pseudo cereals respectively. Both sources have relatively high protein content and acceptable amino acids composition. The potential and application of mung bean and quinoa as protein isolates have been discovered in some studies. Several isolation techniques such as wet fractionation (acid-base extraction), micellization, dry fractionation, aqueous separation or combination of some techniques can be used to isolate protein. This review summarized different methods and processing conditions applied during production of mung bean and quinoa protein isolates. Extracting protein from different sources may require different conditions, which results in different compositions and functional properties. Acid-base extraction is the most common method applied in mung bean and quinoa and results in high protein purity and yields. Micellization is an alternative method used in mung bean to produce higher protein content. Dry fractionation is a sustainable option used in quinoa to concentrate protein fractions. Purification methods such as ultrafiltration and aqueous phase separation can be used. Different methods and processing conditions affect functional properties, including solubility, water and oil absorption, emulsification, foaming, thermal properties of isolates, which also affect the suitable application for isolates.
 Keywords: Protein isolates; Quinoa; Mung bean; Wet fractionation; Dry fractionation