Yield and qualitative characterisation of seeds of Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. and Amaranthus cruentus L. grown in central Italy

Abstract

Amaranth can be considered a very interesting crop for the Mediterranean region, thanks to its inherent tolerance to disadvantageous growing conditions, along with the high nutritional and nutraceutical value of its seeds. The study aims to evaluate the seed yield, and the oil content and quality of two amaranth genotypes (species Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. and Amaranthus cruentus L., respectively) grown in central Italy, testing two types of soil (loamy and sandy soil). The two species showed a good performance in the tested environment, with satisfactory seed yield and relative short growth cycle. Significant differences between the two genotypes were observed in terms of seed yield. The crude oil content ranged from 7.5% to 6.0%, with linoleic, palmitic and oleic acids as the major fatty acids of the oil in both genotypes. The unsaponifiable fraction was rich in sterols (campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol), and interesting levels of squalene were found. This study demonstrated the unique nutraceutical properties of the seeds of two genotypes of A. hypochondriacus and A. cruentus, grown in central Italy environment, as a source of polyunsaturated fatty acid and squalene. These characteristics make amaranth a valuable alternative crop for specialty oil production in the Mediterranean region.

Productive and Qualitative Traits of Amaranthus Cruentus L.: An Unconventional Healthy Ingredient in Animal Feed

“…Yields of tested accessions resulted higher than the data of El Gendy et al [42] but in agreement with those reported by Casini and La Rocca [40]. Moreover, compared to results obtained on A. cruentus in the same cultivation environment, but with different accessions [43], all the accessions tested showed slightly higher or comparable yields, except for PI 628793 (Zaire), which gave lower grain yield.…”

“…The oil content of the eight amaranth accessions resulted within the range reported by Grobelnik Mlakar et al [19] (5.6-8.1%) and within the range observed by He et al [48] in a study conducted in Wuhan (China) with 7 genotypes of A. cruentus (5.57-7.41%) with different origin (Nigera, Mexico, Czechoslovakia, USA, USA, China and China). On the other hand, our values are higher than those (1.9-5.0%) observed by He et al [49] in a second study involving 7 genotypes of A. cruentus with a different origin (Ghana, Taiwan Sudan, Peru, Guatemala, USA, India) and cultivated in Wuhan (China) and by El Gendy et al [42].…”

Chemical composition and biological activity of seed oil of amaranth varieties

“…In our work the molar ratio of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids was established ~ 27:73 among the four amaranth seed oils. Comparable results (23.7:76.3 and 22:78, respectively) were demonstrated in A. hypochondriacus and A. cruentus (El Gendy et al 2018). High percentage of squalene and unsaturated fatty acids in amaranth oil makes it possible for use in medicine.…”

Evaluation of Agronomic Performance of Amaranthus (Amaranthus cruentus cv. BRS Alegria) in Times and Seed Densities

“…The genus Amaranthus comprises several species of the Amaranthaceae family whose leaves and seeds are regularly consumed as food by populations in several countries [1,2] among which Brazil is not yet included. The amaranth (Amaranthus spp) is a granífera adapted to produce in regions with high insolation and high temperature [3], conditions of saline stress [4] and hydric [5] and adapts also to altitudes that go from the level of the sea up to 3,500 m [6].…”