Search Results (19)

In Peru, 5 of every 10 children suffer from malnutrition, which increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the early stages of their life. Sacha inchi (Plukenetia huayllabamana) cake is the by-product of the oil extraction process of the Amazon Peruvian seed and has high protein (56%) and fiber (5.9%) content. Tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet) is a Peruvian legume characterized by its high protein content (>50%) and high levels of tyrosine and tryptophan amino acids. Thus, the purpose of this research was to develop high-protein cookies enriched with defatted sacha inchi cake (DSIC) and defatted tarwi (DT) as an alternative snack to combat child malnutrition. Five types of cookies were developed, along with one control sample, containing corn flour (50% w/w), rice flour (20% w/w), and varying the content of quinoa flour, DSIC flour and DT flour (0, 10%, 30% w/w). The addition of DSIC and DT increased the content in protein from 12.13% to 20.30%, fat from 6.76% to 10.42%, and ash from 1.51% to 1.89% compared to the control sample. In contrast, the moisture content decreased from 10.21% to 10.78% and carbohydrates from 59.73% to 67.48%. Moreover, all cookies had high in vitro digestibility (70.91% to 74.17%) and relatively high antioxidant activity (346 to 469 μg GAE/g cookie) and phenolic content (1286 to 1755 μg trolox/g cookie). Sensory analysis showed that cookies enriched with DT were more appealing to the panelists than those enriched with DSIC and the control sample. Hence, these cookies could serve as a gluten-free nutritional food alternative to combat child malnutrition. Full article

This research aimed to evaluate the changes that occur in the composition of macronutrients and soluble compounds of quinoa grains at different germination times. The seeds were soaked in water, drained, and then germinated in monolayers inside closed containers for 12, 24, 48, and 72 h and the germination was stopped by drying. Proteins, amino acids, fatty acids and antioxidant activity in flours were measured. A gradual reduction of carbohydrates is verified during the germination time with a concomitant increase in protein and lipid contents, while total minerals did not show modifications. The concentration effect due to metabolized carbohydrates seems responsible for the 33% rise in protein content 72 h after sprouting, but it is not enough to explain the almost 100% lipid increase for the same period. In general, amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids increase during germination, constituting a good resource for food and food ingredients intended for the general public, celiac patients, children, athletes, and elderly people. Full article

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. Full article

Consumers’ recognition and understanding of food characteristics can have an important role when making purchase decisions. The current study analysed consumer preferences for bread, an important food in the diets of Central European countries. The study included a conjoint experiment on a representative sample of 547 adult consumers in Slovenia. The following bread attributes: functional ingredients (chia seeds, linseed, quinoa, and Tartary buckwheat); nutritional claims (low salt, high fibre, and high protein); and other claims (organic, free from additives, flour from Slovenia, and wholegrain) were studied. The results showed the strongest relative importance for functional ingredients (a mean relative importance of 83.9%). In addition, a deeper insight into consumer preference was investigated by a recently developed modular instrument for food-related lifestyles. Latent class cluster analysis (LCA) enabled the identification of four consumer segments (uninvolved, conservative, health-conscious, and moderate) with different preferences toward selected functional ingredients, nutrition, and other claims. The results provide insights that allow for a better understanding of consumer preferences for functional ingredients and claims, and new perspectives for bread marketing to different consumer segments based on food-related lifestyles. Identifying the drivers that affect bread purchasing and consumption can support reformulation activities and product promotion in the direction of reinforcing healthier food choices. Full article

Globally, 1 in 2 people want to consume more plant-based foods, so developing nutritionally balanced foods for this area is a response to a growing need of the population. The objective was to develop snack alternatives with amaranth, quinoa and chia seeds, supplemented with protein. For this purpose, three mixtures were prepared, the first of rice flour with lentil flour (M1), another of rice flour with pea flour (M2) and another of wheat flour with chickpea flour (M3). The same amount of amaranth, quinoa and chia seeds were added to all three. The same proportion of the rest of the ingredients was used, varying only the seasonings. The cooking time was 10 min at 180 °C in all cases. The preparations were carried out in triplicate and analyses in duplicate. Once prepared, protein, total fat, ash, moisture and fiber were determined using official analytical techniques, carbohydrates using difference, energy value using calculations and fatty acid profile using gas chromatography. For statistical analysis, the Tukey test was applied. The highest protein value was 15.84 ± 0.34 g% (M1). The highest lipid value was 21.44 ± 0.13 g% (M3), providing omega 9, 3 and 6 fatty acids and, to a much lesser extent, saturated fatty acid. All options have a good contribution of dietary fiber: 7.39 ± 0.14 g% (M1); 7.71 ± 0.09 g% (M2) and 7.55 ± 0.23 g% (M3). The acceptability was above 94% in all cases. It was possible to formulate healthy snacks suitable for vegetarians. Full article

The trend in protein consumption is towards plant-based foods, for this reason a powdered beverage with a balanced profile of essential amino acids was developed, combining two different sources of protein, cushuro (Nostoc commune) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). The cushuro is an ancient Andean cyanobacteria that grows over 3000 and 4000 m above sea level, and quinoa is an important Andean seed, and they are part of the basic diet of the Andean Peruvian population. The cushuro obtained from the region of Ancash-Peru was dried (60 °C, 18 h) and the flour was dissolved in 0.1 N HCl at 90 °C for 20 min to obtain a protein concentrate with 6.79% moisture, 0.16% fat, 71.03% protein, and good balance of essential amino acids. Quinoa flour presented 8.52% moisture, 4.84% fat, 12.90% protein, and essential amino acids such as phenylalanine, and lysine. Quinoa flour (65.45%), cushuro concentrated protein (4.76%), cocoa (17.85%), panela (11.90%), and stevia (0.05%), were mixed to obtain the powdered beverage. The results showed that powdered beverage presented an adequate balance of amino acids according to FAO/WHO, with 14.36% proteins, 72.53% carbohydrate, 5.19% fat, 716.6 mg/kg potassium, 319.8 mg/kg phosphorus, 139.2 mg/kg magnesium, 82.69 mg/100 g vitamin C, 1.49 µg/100 g vitamin B12, heavy metals below the detection evel (<0.050 mg/kg). The powdered beverage complied with the Peruvian legislation of the Healthy Law No. 30021 and with the microbiological requirements. Full article

The roller milling of sorghum and quinoa seeds into flour fractions (coarse, middle, and fine) was investigated, chemically analysed, and applied in the baking of gluten-free sourdough bread. The gap settings were adjusted to 0, 5, 8, and 10 for quinoa, and 3, 5, and 7 for sorghum. The fine fractions reached values of up to about 41% (gap 8) for quinoa and around 20% for sorghum (gap 5). SEM pictographs illustrated the clear separation of each fraction with the chemical analysis showing high contents of protein, TDF (total dietary fibre), and IDF (insoluble dietary fibre) in the coarse fraction. Up to 77% starch content was obtained in the fine fraction with significant amounts of SDF (soluble dietary fibre), which has good health benefits. Increasing the dough moisture up to 90% helped in decreasing the bread crumb firmness, while low Avrami parameters and RVA pasting behaviour indicated a slow bread-staling rate for both sourdough breads. Full article

Quinoa is an Andean grain, classified as pseudocereal and the exploitation of its nutritional profile is of great interest for the cereal-based industry. The germination of quinoa seeds (white and red royal) was tested at 20 °C for different times (0, 18, 24 and 48 h) to select the best conditions for improving the nutritional quality of their flours. Changes in proximal composition, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, mineral content, unsaturated fatty acids and essential amino acids profiles of germinated quinoa seeds were determined. In addition, changes in structure and thermal properties of the starch and proteins as consequence of germination process were analyzed. In white quinoa, germination produced an increase in the content of lipids and total dietary fiber, at 48 h, the levels of linoleic and α-linolenic acids and antioxidant activity increase, while in red quinoa, the component that was mostly increased was total dietary fiber and, at 24 h, increased the levels of oleic and α-linolenic acids, essential amino acids (Lys, His and Met) and phenolic compounds; in addition, a decrease in the amount of sodium was detected. On the basis of the best nutritional composition, 48 h and 24 h of germination were selected for white and red quinoa seeds, respectively. Two protein bands were mostly observed at 66 kDa and 58 kDa, being in higher proportion in the sprouts. Changes in macrocomponents conformation and thermal properties were observed after germination. Germination was more positive in nutritional improvement of white quinoa, while the macromolecules (proteins and starch) of red quinoa presented greater structural changes. Therefore, germination of both quinoa seeds (48 h-white quinoa and 24 h-red quinoa) improves the nutritional value of flours producing the structural changes of proteins and starch necessary for obtaining high quality breads. Full article

Quinoa cultivation has gained increasing interest in Europe but more research on the characteristics of European varieties is required to help determine their end use applications. A comparative study was performed on 13 quinoa varieties cultivated under North-West European field conditions during three consecutive growing seasons (2017–2019). The seeds were milled to wholemeal flour (WMF) to evaluate the physicochemical properties. The WMFs of 2019 were characterized by the highest water absorption capacity (1.46–2.06 g/g), while the water absorption index (WAI) between 55 °C (2.04–3.80 g/g) and 85 °C (4.04–7.82 g/g) increased over the years. The WMFs of 2018 had the highest WAI at 95 °C (6.48–9.48 g/g). The pasting profiles were characterized by a high viscosity peak (1696–2560 mPa.s) and strong breakdown (−78–643 mPa.s) in 2017. The peak viscosity decreased in 2018 and 2019 (823–2492 mPa.s), while breakdown (−364–555 mPa.s) and setback (19–1037 mPa.s) increased. Jessie, Summer Red, Rouge Marie, Vikinga, and Zwarte WMFs were characterized by low WAIs and high shear resistance. Bastille WMF developed high viscosities and, along with Faro WMF, showed a high breakdown. The wide variation in physicochemical properties suggests that the potential food applications of WMFs depend on the variety and growing conditions. Full article

In this study, the quality of meat patty samples containing different black quinoa fractions (seed, flour and wet-milling coproducts) was evaluated during freezing preservation. Composition, physicochemical parameters (aw, pH, colour and texture), cooking properties, lipid oxidation and sensory characteristic were studied in four batches (control and 8% concentration of quinoa seed, flour and wet-milling coproducts added) at 30, 60 and 90 days of freezing (−20 ± 1 °C). Different black quinoa fraction addition affected (p < 0.05) physiochemical properties, improved cooking properties and reduced lipid oxidations during freezing storage. Batches with flour and wet-milling coproducts added were the most stable for texture parameters and lipid oxidation during freezing. The results obtained showed that quinoa wet-milling co-products could be considered a valuable sustainable and organic food ingredient, maintaining nutritional and global qualities of the fresh meat product. In addition, freezing storage is an effective way to prolong the shelf life of patties with different black quinoa fractions, added without affecting quality. Full article

Dietary acrylamide formed during baking and frying of plant-based foods such as bread and other cereal products, coffee, fried potatoes, and olives is reported to induce genotoxic, carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and antifertility properties in vivo, suggesting the need to keep the acrylamide content low with respect to widely consumed heat-processed food including flatbreads. Due to the fact that pigmented corn flours contain biologically active and health-promoting phenolic and anthocyanin compounds, the objective of this study was to potentially define beneficial properties of flatbread by evaluating the acrylamide content determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) with a detection limit of 1.8 µg/kg and proximate composition by standard methods of six experimental flatbreads made from two white, two blue, one red, and one yellow corn flours obtained by milling commercial seeds. Acrylamide content was also determined in experimental flatbreads made from combinations in quinoa flour, wheat flour, and peanut meal with added broccoli or beet vegetables and of commercial flatbreads including tortillas and wraps. Proximate analysis of flatbreads showed significant differences in protein and fat but not in carbohydrate, mineral, and water content. The acrylamide content of 16 evaluated flatbreads ranged from 0 to 49.1 µg/kg, suggesting that these flatbreads have the potential to serve as low-acrylamide functional foods. The dietary significance of the results is discussed. Full article

A sound fundamental knowledge of the seed and flour characteristics of pseudocereals is crucial to be able to promote their industrial use. As a first step towards a more efficient and successful application, this study focuses on the seed characteristics, chemical composition and technological properties of commercially available pseudocereals (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat). The levels of starch, fat, dietary fiber and minerals were comparable for amaranth and quinoa seeds but the protein content is higher in amaranth. Due to the high amount of starch, buckwheat seeds are characterised by the lowest amounts of fat, dietary fibre and minerals. Its protein content ranged between that of amaranth and quinoa. Buckwheat seeds were larger but easily reduced in size. The lipid fraction of the pseudocereals mostly contained unsaturated fatty acids, with the highest prevalence of linoleic and oleic acid. Palmitic acid is the most abundant unsaturated fatty acid. Moreover, high levels of P, K and Mg were found in these pseudocereals. The highest phenolic content was found in buckwheat. Amaranth WMF (wholemeal flour) had a high swelling power but low shear stability. The pasting profile strongly varied among the different quinoa WMFs. Buckwheat WMFs showed high shear stability and rate of retrogradation. Full article

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is increasingly singled out as a healthy food with an excellent nutritional profile. Besides being suitable for gluten-free diets, it is rich in proteins of excellent quality and is a good source of minerals and vitamins, as well as of natural antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds. The aim of this work is to present how fermentation can affect phenolic compound content and antioxidant capacity of quinoa. It emerged that fermentation can be used to increase phenolic compound content and antioxidant capacity in both quinoa seeds and flours. The use of fermented quinoa flours allowed obtaining bread and pasta richer in phenolic compounds and with a greater antioxidant capacity. Fungi are the main starters used in quinoa seed fermentation, while Lactobacillus strains have been applied to produce sourdoughs. Quinoa has been also fermented to obtain yogurt-like beverages with a higher content in phenolic compounds and a greater antioxidant activity. Strains of Lactobacillus sp. and Bifidobacterium sp. have been used as starters. Full article

Replacement of refined wheat flour with milling fractions of quinoa seeds represents a useful way for the formulation of value-added baked products with beneficial characteristics to consumers. The aim of this study was to assess the chemical composition and physical properties of different particle sizes of quinoa flour on Falling number index (FN) and dough rheological properties determined by Mixolab in a planned research based on design of experiment by using full factorial design. The ash and protein contents were higher in medium particle size, whereas the carbohydrates presented a lower value, this fraction having also the highest water absorption and water retention capacity. The reduction of particles led to an increased swelling capacity and a decreased bulk density. The particle size significantly influenced the FN values in linear and quadratic terms (p < 0.05), showing a decrease with the particle size increasing. Particle size decrease significantly increased water absorption and the rate of protein weakening due to heat (C1–2), whereas starch gelatinization rate (C3–2), starch breakdown rate related to amylase activity (C3–4) and starch retrogradation speed (C5–4) decreased. By increasing the amount of quinoa flour (QF) in wheat flour, the dough stability and the torques C2, C3, C4 and C5 followed a decreased trend, whereas water absorption and dough development time rose. Optimization, determined by particle size and level of QF added in wheat flour based on which of the combination gives the best rheological properties, showed that the composite flour containing 8.98% quinoa flour of medium particle size was the most suitable. Full article

Celiac disease is affecting around 1% of the world population and an effective treatment needs to exclude gluten. Quinoa is a high-quality gluten-free protein, and starch-rich endosperm, like the cereals. Protein contents and theoretical Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) were evaluated in quinoas from Northwest and Centre of Argentina. A batter-type gluten-free quinoa bread was developed, showing good volume, taste, nutritional quality and a good long-lasting texture. Malted quinoa seeds’ quality indicators rose until 48 h of germination; after that, an unpleasant taste was developed. Muffins made with that flour showed acceptable taste. Full article