Nutritional and biological value of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)
2017
Vilcacundo, Rubén | Hernández-Ledesma, Blanca | Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España) | Universidad Técnica de Ambato
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal traditionally consumed by Andean cultures that is attracting attention worldwide as a functional food. Because of its tolerance to extreme environmental conditions and its nutritional and biological properties, quinoa has been defined as ‘one of the grains of the 21st century’. In addition to its high content in protein, lipids, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and its excellent balance of essential amino acids, quinoa has been found to contain numerous phytochemicals including saponins, phytosterols, phytoecdysteroids, phenolics and bioactive peptides. These compounds may exert beneficial effects on metabolic, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal health. This review summarizes the nutritional and functional role of quinoa emphasizing on the evidence demonstrated by animal and clinical studies.
Show more [+] Less [-]This work has received financial support from projects AGL2015-66886-R (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MINECO, Spain) and 1373-CPU-P-2014 (Universidad Técnica de Ambato, UTA, Ecuador). R. V. thanks UTA for his fellowship (grant No. 2311-CU-P-2015), and B. H.-L. acknowledges MINECO and CSIC for her “Ramón y Cajal” post-doctoral contract.
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