Assessment of Content of Fat and Tocopherols in Seeds of Amaranthus in Relation to Diversified Fertilization with Macroelements

Abstract

This study is based on the field experiment carried out in the years 2007-2008, on an individual farmer's field in Bodaczow, near Zamosc. The aim of the experiment was to determine the influence of different dosages of NPK on the content of fat and homologous tocopherols in the seeds of two varieties of amaranth: Rawa and Aztek. The experiment was started on brown soil made from loess, with high content of P, K and Mg, and slightly acidic reaction (pH in l mol KCl·dm -3 -5.8). The experiment was started with split-plot method in three repetitions, and involved: two varieties of amaranthus (Rawa and Aztek), and 4 variants of fertilization with macroelements NPK (kg · ha -1 ) (1 -object without any fertilization, 2 -70 N, 50 P2O5, 50 K2O; 3 -90 N, 60 P2O5, 60 K2O; 4 -130 N, 70 P2O5, 70 K2O). The content of fat was marked in the seed with Soxhlet's method, and α-, β-, γ-and δ-tocopherol with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The study reveals that the amount of accumulated fat in the seeds of amaranthus largely depended on the variety of the plant and variant of fertilization with macroelements. Significantly high content of fat in the seeds was found at the fourth (the highest) level of fertilization with NPK. Higher content of fat in the seeds was determined in Aztec variety than Rawa. The varieties of amaranthus varied considerably in the content of: α-, β-tocopherol and their total amount. Higher content of α-tocopherol and its higher total amount was found in the seeds of Aztek variety, rather than Rawa. The seeds of Rawa variety had significantly more β-tocopherol than Aztek variety. Fertilization with growing dosages of NPK had a significant, positive influence only on the amount of α-tocopherol and its total amount.

Antioxidants of Amaranth, Quinoa and Buckwheat Wholemeals and Heat-Damage Development in Pseudocereal-Enriched Einkorn Water Biscuits

“…For buckwheat, the values were slightly higher than those described in previous studies [ 19 , 20 ], where γ-tocopherol varied between 49.0 and 57.0 mg/kg DM. For amaranth, they were similar to those (15.6–19.1 and 11.4–40.7 mg/kg DM) obtained by different authors [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]; however, they also detected γ- and δ-tocopherol. Similarly, our quinoa results were in-line with those of other researchers [ 20 , 24 , 25 ], who reported contents of 8.0–24.0 and 25.8–49.0 mg/kg, respectively; the aforementioned authors found limited quantities of other tocols too.…”

Phytoecdysteroids and flavonoid glycosides among Chilean and commercial sources of Chenopodium quinoa: variation and correlation to physico‐chemical characteristics

“…These data, taken together with the results of our correlation and PCA analyses, indicate that PE content may be improved in quinoa through mechanisms aimed at increasing oil content. Possible strategies include enlargement of relative embryo size or upregulation of oil biosynthesis via breeding or genetic manipulation and agricultural techniques such as enhanced fertilization . Since vegetable oil is of high demand and quinoa is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to health, the improvement of oil content in quinoa has vast implications for agriculture and human well‐being.…”

“…Possible strategies include enlargement of relative embryo size or upregulation of oil biosynthesis via breeding or genetic manipulation 52,53 and agricultural techniques such as enhanced fertilization. 54 Since vegetable oil is of high demand 52 and quinoa is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to health, 2,28 the improvement of oil content in quinoa has vast implications for agriculture and human well-being. Though oil content has been successfully improved in several cereal crops through conventional breeding techniques, 53 to our knowledge, no work has yet been performed to this effect in quinoa.…”

Nutritional Components of Amaranth Seeds and Vegetables: A Review on Composition, Properties, and Uses

“…The accumulation of oil in “Rawa” and “Aztek” A. cruentus varieties was affected by fertilization; the highest content was determined when the plants were treated with the highest level of nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium (NPK) fertilizer. In addition, Aztec variety had a higher content of fat than “Rawa” (Skwaryło‐Bednarz ). Some effects of NPK fertilizers on the content of fat were also observed earlier in 4 Amaranthus samples of 3 species, although the increasing NPK application level did not have any clear effect, since for both A. cruentus samples, a decrease was observed, while for A. caudatus , there was an increase (Bressani and others ).…”

“…1 Skwaryło‐Bednarz (); 2 Bruni and others (); 3 Ozsoy and others (); 4 León‐Camacho and others (); 5 Lehmann and others (); 6 Kraujalis and Venskutonis (2013b).…”