Diversity and interrelationships in nutritional traits in cultivated quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) from Northwest Argentina

Current trends and prospects in quinoa research: An approach for strategic knowledge areas

Currently, the demand for healthy consumption and the use of alternatives to dairy proteins for the development of foods with good nutritional value are growing. Quinoa has received much attention because it contains a high content of proteins, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, and bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, this content and the bioavailability of specific compounds of interest are related to the genotype, the agri-environmental conditions, and management practices where quinoa is grown and postharvest management. This article aimed to analyze the research trends for three knowledge areas: quinoa plant breeding for nutraceutical properties, plant-soil relations focused on abiotic stresses, and postharvest and value-added transformation activities. To this end, a specific methodological design based on bibliometrics and scientometrics methods was used. Through these analyses based on publications' keywords, titles, abstracts, and conclusions sections, for each knowledge area, the key research trends (scope and main topics), the classification of trends based on their development and relevance degree, and the core of knowledge were established. The trends comprise the current state of research. Finally, analyzing the conclusions, recommendations, and future research sections of key publications, a strong correlation among plant breeding research to obtain varieties with tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, nutritional and functional compounds of interest for food safety, and the development of products with higher added value established interest in further research on the potential bioactivity of quinoa and the verification of health benefits to humans.

Diversity of quinoa genetic resources for sustainable production: A survey on nutritive characteristics as influenced by environmental conditions

Environmental extremes and climatic variability have enhanced the changes in numerous plant stressors. Researchers have been working to improve “major” crops for several decades to make them more adaptable and tolerant to environmental stresses. However, neglected and underutilized crop species that have the potential to ensure food and nutritional security for the ever-growing global population have received little or no research attention. Quinoa is one of these crops. It is a pseudocereal, considered a rich and balanced food resource due to its protein content and protein quality, high mineral content, and health benefits. This review provides currently available information on the genetic resources of quinoa and their quality in terms of variability of economically important traits such as yield, and the content of bioactive compounds, such as protein and amino acid composition. The influence of variety and environmental conditions on selected traits is also discussed. The various types of nutrients present in the different varieties form the basis and are key for future breeding efforts and for efficient, healthy, and sustainable food production.

Yield and Nutritional Characterization of Thirteen Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Varieties Grown in North-West Europe-Part I

The cultivation of quinoa has gained increasing interest in Europe. Different European varieties exist, but more research is required to understand the individual variety characteristics for end-use applications. The objective of this study is to evaluate the agronomic performance of 13 quinoa varieties under North-West European field conditions during three growing seasons (2017-2019). Furthermore, seeds were qualitatively characterized based on characteristics and composition. Yield differed among varieties and growing seasons (0.47-3.42 ton/ha), with lower yields obtained for late-maturing varieties. The saponin content varied from sweet to very bitter. The seeds contained high protein levels (12.1-18.8 g/100 g dry matter), whereas varieties had a similar essential amino acid profile. The main fatty acids were linoleic (53.0-59.8%), α-linolenic (4.7-8.2%), and oleic acid (15.5-22.7%), indicating a high degree of unsaturation. The clustering of varieties/years revealed subtle differences between growing seasons but also reflected the significant interaction effects of variety and year. Most varieties perform well under North-West European conditions, and their nutritional content is well within the values previously described for other cultivation areas. However, optimal yield and quality traits were not combined in one variety, illustrating the importance of breeding for adapted quinoa varieties.

Studying the Impact of Different Field Environmental Conditions on Seed Quality of Quinoa: The Case of Three Different Years Changing Seed Nutritional Traits in Southern Europe

Chenopodium quinoa Willd (quinoa) has acquired an increased agronomical and nutritional relevance due to the capacity of adaptation to different environments and the exceptional nutritional properties of their seeds. These include high mineral and protein contents, a balanced amino acid composition, an elevated antioxidant capacity related to the high phenol content, and the absence of gluten. Although it is known that these properties can be determined by the environment, limited efforts have been made to determine the exact changes occurring at a nutritional level under changing environmental conditions in this crop. To shed light on this, this study aimed at characterizing variations in nutritional-related parameters associated with the year of cultivation and different genotypes. Various nutritional and physiological traits were analyzed in seeds of different quinoa cultivars grown in the field during three consecutive years. We found differences among cultivars for most of the nutritional parameters analyzed. It was observed that the year of cultivation was a determinant factor in every parameter studied, being 2018 the year with lower yields, germination rates, and antioxidant capacity, but higher seed weights and seed protein contents. Overall, this work will greatly contribute to increase our knowledge of the impact of the environment and genotype on the nutritional properties of quinoa seeds, especially in areas that share climatic conditions to Southern Europe.

Quinoa sprouts as potential vegetable source: Nutrient composition and functional contents of different quinoa sprout varieties

Quinoa has a long history of cultivation and unique nutritional value. Quinoa sprouts can be eaten as leafy vegetables, but their nutritional quality is unknown. Ten quinoa sprout varieties (lines) were evaluated and compared for nutrient and functional composition. All quinoa sprout varieties had high contents of moisture content, reducing sugar, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. All varieties contained all essential amino acids, with leucine present in abundance. They had high contents of phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids (β-carotene and lycopene) as well as chlorophylls a and b. Overall, var. LL-01 had better nutrient and phytochemical composition than other varieties. The potential nutritionalhealth benefits of quinoa sprouts as a vegetable are important for both traditional and contemporary diets.

Assessing the Performance of Different Grains in Gluten-Free Bread Applications

A comparative analysis of quinoa, sorghum, millet and rice flours and breads in terms of proximate composition, resistant starch, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content was realized in this study. Quinoa whole flour had the highest content of proteins, fat, ash and total dietary fiber, followed by millet and sorghum flours. Quinoa and rice breads had higher specific volume (192.22 and 181.04 cm3/100 g, respectively) and lower crumb firmness (10.81 and 13.74 N, respectively) compared to sorghum and millet breads. The highest total phenol content was obtained in the case of bread prepared with quinoa flour (398.42 mg ferulic acid equiv/100 g d.w.), while the lowest content was obtained for the rice flour bread (70.34 mg ferulic acid equiv/100 g d.w). The antioxidant activity of gluten-free breads decreased in the following order: sorghum > quinoa > millet > rice. Quinoa bread had the highest resistant starch content of 3.28% d.w., while the rice bread had the highest digestible starch content of 81.48% d.w. The slowly digestible starch varied from 15.5% d.w. for quinoa bread, to 6.51% d.w. for millet bread. These results revealed the huge potential of quinoa, sorghum and millet to be used for developing functional gluten-free bread.

Seed Composition and Amino Acid Profiles for Quinoa Grown in Washington State

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal celebrated for its excellent nutritional quality and potential to improve global food security, especially in marginal environments. However, minimal information is available on how genotype influences seed composition, and thus, nutritional quality. This study aimed to provide a baseline for nutritional quality of Washington grown quinoa and test the hypothesis that these samples contain adequate amounts of essential amino acids to meet daily requirements set by the World Health Organization (WHO). One hundred samples, representing commercial varieties and advanced breeding lines adapted to Washington State, were analyzed for content of 23 amino acids, as well as crude protein, ash, moisture, and crude fat. Mean essential amino acid values for Washington grown quinoa met the daily requirements for all age groups for all essential amino acids, except for the amount of leucine required by infants. We found that only nine genotypes met the leucine requirements for all age groups. A total of 52 and 94 samples met the lysine and tryptophan requirements for all age groups, respectively. Mean values for isoleucine, leucine, lysine, tryptophan, valine, and the sulfur and aromatic amino acids are higher for Washington grown samples than those reported previously reported in the literature. Our results show that not all Washington grown quinoa samples meet daily requirements of essential amino acids, and we identify limiting amino acids for the germplasm and environments investigated. This study provides the first report of leucine as a limiting amino acid in quinoa. Additional research is needed to better understand variation in quinoa nutritional composition, identify varieties that meet daily requirements, and explore how genotype, environment, and management interactions influence nutritional quality.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): An Overview of the Potentials of the "Golden Grain" and Socio-Economic and Environmental Aspects of Its Cultivation and Marketization

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is native to the Andean region and has attracted a global growing interest due its unique nutritional value. The protein content of quinoa grains is higher than other cereals while it has better distribution of essential amino acids. It can be used as an alternative to milk proteins. Additionally, quinoa contains a high amount of essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, and carbohydrates with beneficial hypoglycemic effects while being gluten-free. Furthermore, the quinoa plant is resistant to cold, salt, and drought, which leaves no doubt as to why it has been called the "golden grain". On that account, production of quinoa and its products followed an increasing trend that gained attraction in 2013, as it was proclaimed to be the international year of quinoa. In this respect, this review provides an overview of the published results regarding the nutritional and biological properties of quinoa that have been cultivated in different parts of the world during the last two decades. This review sheds light on how traditional quinoa processing and products evolved and are being adopted into novel food processing and modern food products, as well as noting the potential of side stream processing of quinoa by-products in various industrial sectors. Furthermore, this review moves beyond the technological aspects of quinoa production by addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges of its production, consumption, and marketizations to reflect a holistic view of promoting the production and consumption of quinoa.

Phytochemical and genetic characterization of five quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) genotypes introduced to Egypt

Due to its substantial nutritional value, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is currently attracting worldwide attention. Quinoa is characterized by a high adaptability to various environmental conditions. This is the first report on the phytochemical and genetic evaluation of quinoa germplasms introduced to Egypt, and the results could be used to implement propagation techniques in the future. For phytochemical characterization, 41 traits, including primary and secondary metabolites, antioxidant molecules, sugars, organic acids and fatty acids, were evaluated. At the same time, 4 RAPD and 7 ISSR markers were used for genetic analysis. UPGMA analysis of RAPD and ISSR polymorphic markers, their combined dataset and phytochemical traits were used to evaluate genetic relationships among genotypes. The quinoa genotypes displayed reasonable variation in the studied phytochemical traits. The results of the genetic analysis confirmed that RAPD and ISSR markers could be used to distinguish effectively quinoa genotypes. The phytochemical and genetic characterization reported herein will be a promising guide for breeding seed quality in quinoa.

New Insight into Quinoa Seed Quality under Salinity: Changes in Proteomic and Amino Acid Profiles, Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Protein Extracts

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is an ancient Andean seed-producing crop well known for its exceptional nutritional properties and resistance to adverse environmental conditions, such as salinity and drought. Seed storage proteins, amino acid composition, and bioactive compounds play a crucial role in determining the nutritional value of quinoa. Seeds harvested from three Chilean landraces of quinoa, one belonging to the salares ecotype (R49) and two to the coastal-lowlands ecotype, VI-1 and Villarrica (VR), exposed to two levels of salinity (100 and 300 mM NaCl) were used to conduct a sequential extraction of storage proteins in order to obtain fractions enriched in albumins/globulins, 11S globulin and in prolamin-like proteins. The composition of the resulting protein fractions was analyzed by one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results confirmed a high polymorphism in seed storage proteins; the two most representative genotype-specific bands of the albumin/globulin fraction were the 30- and 32-kDa bands, while the 11S globulin showed genotype-specific polymorphism for the 40- and 42-kDa bands. Spot analysis by mass spectrometry followed by in silico analyses were conducted to identify the proteins whose expression changed most significantly in response to salinity in VR. Proteins belonging to several functional categories (i.e., stress protein, metabolism, and storage) were affected by salinity. Other nutritional and functional properties, namely amino acid profiles, total polyphenol (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, and antioxidant activity (AA) of protein extracts were also analyzed. With the exception of Ala and Met in R49, all amino acids derived from protein hydrolysis were diminished in seeds from salt-treated plants, especially in landrace VI-1. By contrast, several free amino acids were unchanged or increased by salinity in R49 as compared with VR and VI-1, suggesting a greater tolerance in the salares landrace. VR had the highest TPC and AA under non-saline conditions. Salinity increased TPC in all three landraces, with the strongest increase occurring in R49, and enhanced radical scavenging capacity in R49 and VR. Overall, results show that salinity deeply altered the seed proteome and amino acid profiles and, in general, increased the concentration of bioactive molecules and AA of protein extracts in a genotype-dependent manner.