CHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CHENOPODIUM PALLIDICAULE (CAÑ IHUA) AND CHENOPODIUM QUINOA (QUINOA) SEEDS

Diana Yamile Gallego Villa; Luigi Russo; Khawla Kerbab; Maddalena Landi; Luca Rastrelli

doi:10.9755/ejfa.v26i7.18187

Authors

Diana Yamile Gallego Villa Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia,
Luigi Russo Dipartimento di Farmacia, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Khawla Kerbab Laboratoire de Phytochimie et Analyses Physico-Chimiques et Biologiques, Departement de Chimie, University of Mentouri, Constantine, Route de Ain El Bey, 25000 Constantine, Algerie
Maddalena Landi Dipartimento di Farmacia, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Luca Rastrelli Dipartimento di Farmacia, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.v26i7.18187

Keywords:

Chenopodium quinoa, Chenopodium pallidicaule, Chenopodiaceae, South-American crop, Nutritional value

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and cañ ihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Allen) are native Andean food plants of high nutritional value used as food by the Incas and previous cultures. An extensive analytical study was done on three samples for each species for all amino acids, sterols, fatty acids and mineral determination. The aim was to evaluate the chemical and nutritional characterization of cañ ihua and quinoa in relationship with wheat, corn, rice, rye, as sources of dietary fiber and other bioactive compounds in human and animal. C. quinoa and pallidicaule present an excellent nutritional value with high (14-18%) protein content, balanced amino acid composition, trace elements and vitamins and contain no gluten. This food species presented rich flavonol and triterpene glycosides fractions that include different compounds. C. quinoa and pallidicaule are an excellent example of functional foods that aims to prevent the risk of various diseases