Yellow-coated quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) - physicochemical, nutritional, and antioxidant properties.

Background: Quinoa seeds are an excellent source of nutrients and phytochemical compounds with well documented activity; however, different cultivars are usually characterized by different physical properties and chemical composition. This study presented the physical properties, nutrient content, and antioxidant capacities of 25 cultivars of yellow-coated quinoa.

Results: The results demonstrated that quinoa seeds may be an excellent source of dietary fiber (up to 198 g kg d.m. - Baer cultivar), with a 1:2 ratio of the soluble to insoluble fraction. Digestible carbohydrates were present at the highest level in the Puno cultivar (640 g kg ). The highest content of proteins was determined in the Colorado 407D and Faro cultivars (c.a. 16%). The average content of albumin and globulins in the seeds was 29.2 and 65.6 g kg , respectively. The quinoa seeds were characterized by low activity of protease inhibitors. The lowest inhibition of trypsin was determined for the UDEC-3, Faro Orange, and Titicaca cultivars, and the highest value was exhibited by the Titicaca White and UDEC-5 cultivars. Phenolics in the tested cultivars ranged from 7.1 g kg (UDEC-3) to 10.6 g kg (Temuko). The best antiradical properties were determined for Temuco and Rainbow (2.05 g TE kg and 1.85 g TE kg , respectively), while the Baer and Temuco cultivars were characterized by the highest reducing power (2.28 g TE kg and 2.17 g TE kg , respectively).

Conclusion: This study has shown that quinoa cultivated in European countries is a good source of nutrients, dietary fiber, and antioxidants; however, its composition varies significantly. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.