1/4/12, 11:12

Agronomical and nutritional evaluation of quinoa seeds (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) as an ingredient in bread formulations

La quinoa es una especie andina, cuya semilla posee excelentes atributos nutritivos (contenido proteico, calidad de aminoácidos, capacidades panaderas, etc). En el presente estudio se evalúa la posibilidad de utilizarla como cultivo en el sudeste europeo, tanto para su uso como cereal como para suplementar las harinas del trigo para elaboración del pan. Su cultivo en estas regiones es de especial interés para agricultores y consumidores por su capacidad de adaptación a las condiciones climáticas típicas de la mencionada región.

Radmila Stikic, Djordje Glamoclija, Mirjana Demin, Biljana Vucelic-Radovic, Zorica Jovanovic, Dusanka Milojkovic-Opsenica, Sven-Erik Jacobsen, Mirjana Milovanovic

Journal of Cereal Science, 55: 132-138 (2012)

 

Quinoa is an Andean seed crop of many potential uses. In 2009 a field trial was carried out to explore the potential for quinoa growing in climatic conditions of South Eastern Europe. Even under rainfed conditions, without fertilization, a seed yield as high as 1.721 t ha-1 was obtained. Seed quality was remarkably good, with protein content ranging from 15.16 to 17.41 % on a dry weight basis, depending on whether seeds were processed. Amino acid and mineral composition revealed the potential of quinoa seeds as a valuable ingredient in the preparation of highly nutritious foods. Quinoa seeds had higher contents of most essential amino acids, especially lysine, than wheat flour. Dehulled quinoa seeds, devoid of saponins, were included into wheat bread formulations, with up to 20%, which resulted in a positive effect on the rheological characteristics of dough. Furthermore, protein content in bread was increased by around 2%. Sensory characteristics of breads were excellent also at the 20% supplementation level. The study of bread supplemented with quinoa seeds could enable the development of a range of new baking products with enhanced nutritional value.