Biochemical characterization of quinoa with special reference to its protein quality

Various genotypes of quinoa were evaluated for their nutritional and biochemical characteristics with special emphasis on functional properties and digestibility of its proteins. proteins from all genotypes showed good functional properties including water absorption capacity (2.81±0.17 to 3.82±0.05%),oil absorption capacity (2.72±0.02 to 3.03±0.03%) and foaming capacity (9.09±0.05 to 10.05±0.07%). proteins exhibited excellent in-vitro digestibility (75.95±0.29 to 78.11±0.43%),protein efficiency ratio (3.50±0.04 to 3.78±0.05),net protein ratio (3.90±0.04 to 4.69±0.05%),net protein utilization (70.75±0.86 to 73.78±0.89%),biological value (79.15±0.96 to 81.74±0.99%) and true digestibility (87.66±1.06 to 90.57±1.10%). furthermore,fat contents showed diverse fatty acid composition including palmitic acid (11.39±0.02 to 13.25±0.30%),oleic acid (26.28±0.15 to 31.62±0.14%),linoleic acid (47.79±0.19 to 52.02±0.54%) and α-linoleic acid (4.45±0.03 to 7.71±0.06%). conclusively,quinoa genotypes grown in pakistan were proved to have strong nutritional profile and high protein quality. © 2015 university of agriculture. all rights reserved.