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Quantitative determinations of chemical compounds with nutritional value from inca crops:Chenopodium quinoa (‘quinoa’)

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition volume 39, pages 331–337 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

Quantitative determinations of total and soluble proteins, total and free sugars, starch, total lipids, tanins, ash (Ca, Na, K, Fe, and P), and caloric value were carried out on quinoa flour.

Results show that the amount of soluble proteins was higher than the standard value for wheat and maize and was very close to that of barley's. The yield of free sugars like glucose (4.55%), fructose (2.41%) and sucrose (2.39%) were also of importance.

Iron and calcium levels were higher than the reported values for maize and barley. The same occurred for the caloric value (435.5 Kcal/100 g).

The content of saponins was also examined since its effect on red blood cells of group A and O has been related as a potential problem of the Andes population.

From the chemical analysis a more complete view about quinoa as human food was presented.

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Affiliations

  1. Fundación Miguel Lillo, Instituto de Botánica, Miguel Lillo 205, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina

    J. A. González & M. Gallardo

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina

    A. Roldán, M. Gallardo & T. Escudero

  3. Facultad de Bioquimica, Quimica y Farmacia, Cátedra de Fitoquimica, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Argentina

    F. E. Prado

Authors
  1. J. A. González
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  2. A. Roldán
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  3. M. Gallardo
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  4. T. Escudero
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  5. F. E. Prado
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González, J.A., Roldán, A., Gallardo, M. et al. Quantitative determinations of chemical compounds with nutritional value from inca crops:Chenopodium quinoa (‘quinoa’). Plant Food Hum Nutr 39, 331–337 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01092070

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01092070

Keywords

  • Iron
  • Lipid
  • Sucrose
  • Starch
  • Maize