Innovatively processed quinoa (Chenopodium quinoaWilld.) food: chemistry, structure and end‐use characteristics

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) flour and processed traditional Peruvian quinoa breakfast foods were studied to evaluate the effect of extrusion and post-processing on protein properties, morphology and nutritional characteristics (amino acids and dietary fibers). RESULTS:The extrusion increased quinoa protein crosslinking and aggregation observed by size exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography and the amount of soluble fibers, as well as decreasing the amounts of insoluble fibers in the processed foods. The post-processing drying resulted in additional crosslinking of large protein fractions in the quinoa products. The microstructure of the extruded quinoa breakfast flakes and heat-post-processed samples studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray tomography differed greatly; post-drying induced formation of aerated protein microstructures in the heattreated samples. Nanostructures revealed by small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering indicated that extrusion imparted morphological changes in the quinoa protein and starch (dominance of V-type). Overall, extrusion processing only reduced the content of most of the essential amino acids to a minor extent; the content of valine and methionine was reduced to a slightly greater extent, but the final products met the requirements of the Food and Drug Organization.CONCLUSION: This study presents innovative examples on how extrusion processing and post-processing heat treatment can be used to produce attractive future food alternatives, such as breakfast cereal flakes and porridge powder, from quinoa grains. Extrusion of quinoa flour into Peruvian foods was shown to be mostly impacted by the processing temperature and processing conditions used. Protein crosslinking increased due to extrusion and post-processing heating. Starch crystallinity decreased most when the product was dried after processing.

Recent developments and knowledge in pseudocereals including technological aspects

“…All of the extruded products made with the inclusion of pseudocereals showed a significant reduction in readily digestible carbohydrates and slowly digestible carbohydrates compared to the control product during predictive in vitro glycemic profiling. For quinoa it was shown that extrusion cooking increased protein crosslinking in quinoa and the amount of soluble fibre (Kuktaite et al, 2021). The content of essential amino acids was only reduced to a minor extent; only valine and methionine were reduced slightly greater, still the final product met the requirements of the Food and Drug Organization.…”

“…A strategy to foster starch gelatinization in quinoa might be pursued by adding higher amounts of water during extrusion cooking followed by subsequent drying of the extrudates. Kuktaite et al (2021) has shown that starch crystallinity decreased in particular during the postprocessing heating step.…”

Comparative Study of Three Dyes’ Adsorption onto Activated Carbon from Chenopodium quinoa Willd and Quillaja saponaria

“…The quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd) plant is a pseudocereal highly consumed in South America since ancestral times by local people. Due to its high protein quality and mineral content, this crop has been widely cultivated in other continents, becoming a new producer [ 20 , 21 ]. As a result of industrial processing of the grain, tons of quinoa husk byproducts are obtained and must be disposed of in landfills.…”

Biomolecules with Antioxidant Capacity from the Seeds and Sprouts of 20 Varieties of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (Quinoa)

“…Additionally, some phytochemical constituents such as saponins, phenolic compounds (ferulic, sinapinic and gallic acids, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and rutin) [4], and peptides with therapeutic activity have been determined, making this crop very attractive for a wide range of food products [5]. Quinoa has been traditionally used in tortillas, pasta, flour, cookies, bread, and soups, among others, and is considered to be a gluten-free superfood and a source of fiber dietary [6]. Thus, quinoa is considered to be an acceptable food worldwide and is highly recommended for vegetarians.…”