The effect of cooking methods on the mineral content of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

Influence of cooking methods and storage time on colour, texture, and fatty acid profile of a novel fish burger for the prevention of cognitive decline

Western diets are poor in healthy n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), namely eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), iodine (I), and other nutrients that may protect against cognitive ageing. Given DHA richness in chub mackerel (Scomber colias), high vitamin B9 levels in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), and I abundance in the seaweed Saccorhiza polyschides, a functional hamburger rich in these nutrients by using these ingredients was developed. This research focused on the factors affecting its quality by examining the impact of cooking (steaming at 100 °C, roasting at 180 °C, grilling at 180 °C) and storage time (after 4 and 6 months at -20 °C) upon the product's properties. Cooking treatments were found to influence the burger's colour and texture, whereas storage duration impacted FA levels and the polyene index. Cooked burgers presented lighter (L*, 45.1-55.0 vs 36.9 ± 2.4) and more yellow colouration (b*, 15.8-17.8 vs 13.6 ± 1.0) than raw burgers. Cooked burgers also exhibited higher textural values across various parameters than their raw versions. Grilled burgers (excluding initial time) were firmer (50.0 ± 5.1 N) than those cooked otherwise (37.0-39.9 N). Regarding FA levels, a decrease in DHA was recorded after four months (21.8-23.0% vs 26.4-30.6%). The polyene index followed a similar trajectory, declining from 2.6 to 3.6 initially to 1.8-1.9 in the fourth month. Hence, the studied mackerel burger could be a promising source of EPA, DHA, and other n-3 PUFAs in human diets, optimally with a frozen storage duration of fewer than four months to preserve nutritional integrity.

Evaluation of nutritional value, bioactivity and mineral content of quinoa bran in China and its potential use in the food industry

Quinoa bran is a by-product during quinoa processing, which is not well used due to its high content of antinutritional factors. The nutritional, antinutritional, antioxidative and mineral content were analyzed in quinoa bran from five producing areas (Hebei, Shanxi, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Gansu Province) in China. The results showed that the mean values of protein, starch, fat, fiber, reducing sugar, ash, moisture and energy in quinoa bran were 9.35%, 47.37%, 8.26%, 10.74%, 3.68%, 6.25%, 9.29% and 360.2 kcal/100 g, respectively. Although the protein content in quinoa bran is lower than that in quinoa grain, it is comparable to that in other grains (rice, corn, millet and sorghum) and brans (wheat, oat and rice), so it has the commercial potential to be processed into animal feed or other edible food. The contents of antioxidant flavonoids (460.9 mg/100g) and polyphenols (477.8 mg/100 g) in quinoa bran were higher than those in quinoa grain, suggesting that quinoa bran had better antioxidant capacity. The contents of saponins, tannins and phytic acid in quinoa bran were 18.65, 0.30 and 0.73%, respectively. The content of saponins was nearly one times higher than that in quinoa grain, the contents of tannins and phytic acid, however, were lower than those in quinoa grain. Therefore, the removal of saponins is the key to eliminate the antinutritional properties of quinoa bran. The contents of macroelements (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus) and microelements (iron, manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, selenium, barium) in quinoa bran were generally higher than those in quinoa grain, which was consistent with the results of ash determination. In summary, quinoa bran was found to be a rich source of nutritional and bioactive components and minerals. If the antinutritional problem can be overcome, quinoa bran has great potential for application in the food industry.

Effect of Light Quality and Media Components on Shoot Growth, Rutin, and Quercetin Production from Common Buckwheat

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) seeds are important nutritious grains that are widely spread in several human food products and livestock feed. Their health benefits are mainly due to their bioactive phenolic compounds, especially rutin and quercetin, which have a positive impact on heart health, weight loss, and diabetes management. In this study, we evaluated different media and light treatments for the in vitro cultures of common buckwheat (CB) in order to find the most optimum one producing the highest yield with the highest purity of these compounds. The subcultured treated samples included in this study were shoots, leaves, stems, hairy roots, and calli. From the several treated samples and under different light stress conditions, the best production was achieved by growing the shoots of common buckwheat in hormone-free media containing activated charcoal and exposing to blue light, attaining 4.3 mg and 7.0 mg/g of extracts of rutin and quercetin, respectively, compared to 3.7 mg of rutin/g of extract and traces of quercetin in the seeds of CB. Continuous multiplication of CB shoots in the media containing charcoal and different concentrations of kinetin produced an extract with 161 mg/g of rutin and 26 mg/g of quercetin with an almost 20-fold increase in rutin content. The rutin content under these conditions reached up to 16% w/w of the extract. The hairy root cultures of the leaves exposed to red light showed a significantly high yield of quercetin attaining 10 mg/g of extract. Large-scale production of CB shootlets under the best conditions were carried out, which enabled the isolation of pure quercetin and rutin using a simple chromatographic procedure. The identity and purity of the isolated compounds were confirmed through NMR and HPLC analyses.

Nutritional Properties of Rice Varieties Commonly Consumed in Italy and Applicability in Gluten Free Diet

Gluten-free diets are often characterized by an inadequate intake of nutrients and are generally monotonous for the limited number of products celiac patients can use. As rice is the most used cereal by celiac consumers, studying rice varieties nutritional characteristics is of interest to manage diet quality and variety. Proteins, total carbohydrates and amylose content of six rice varieties (Ribe, Vialone Nano, Carnaroli, Arborio, Basmati, and Fragrance) were analyzed. Analyses were performed in raw products and after boiling, stewing, and microwaving. A decrease of proteins and total carbohydrates amount was observed in cooked rice. The same was reported for amylose content with boiling showing the highest loss (average retained amylose 53%). Considering amylose percentage with respect to total carbohydrates, each variety showed either an increase or a decrease depending on cooking method. The highest values were obtained with stewing above all for Basmati rice and Arborio rice. However, exceptions can be underlined as Carnaroli rice, showing the highest percentage when boiled. In this context, nutritional characteristics of cooked rice varieties appear to be of great importance to increase specific nutritional knowledge to better manage gluten-free diets.

Comparison of the Chemical and Technological Characteristics of Wholemeal Flours Obtained from Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.), Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) Seeds

A sound fundamental knowledge of the seed and flour characteristics of pseudocereals is crucial to be able to promote their industrial use. As a first step towards a more efficient and successful application, this study focuses on the seed characteristics, chemical composition and technological properties of commercially available pseudocereals (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat). The levels of starch, fat, dietary fiber and minerals were comparable for amaranth and quinoa seeds but the protein content is higher in amaranth. Due to the high amount of starch, buckwheat seeds are characterised by the lowest amounts of fat, dietary fibre and minerals. Its protein content ranged between that of amaranth and quinoa. Buckwheat seeds were larger but easily reduced in size. The lipid fraction of the pseudocereals mostly contained unsaturated fatty acids, with the highest prevalence of linoleic and oleic acid. Palmitic acid is the most abundant unsaturated fatty acid. Moreover, high levels of P, K and Mg were found in these pseudocereals. The highest phenolic content was found in buckwheat. Amaranth WMF (wholemeal flour) had a high swelling power but low shear stability. The pasting profile strongly varied among the different quinoa WMFs. Buckwheat WMFs showed high shear stability and rate of retrogradation.

Occurrence of organic micropollutants and human health risk assessment based on consumption of Amaranthus viridis, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The contamination of water resource and food chain by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) constitutes a major environmental and human health concern worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of POPs in irrigation water, soil and in Amaranthus viridis (A. viridis) from different gardening sites in Kinshasa to evaluate the potential environmental and human health risks. A survey study for the use of pesticides and fertilizers was carried out with 740 market gardeners. The levels of POPs (including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) were analyzed in irrigation water and 144 vegetable samples collected from different gardening sites. The assessment of potential human health risk was estimated by calculating daily intake and toxic equivalency to quantify the carcinogenicity. The results show highest PAH levels in A. viridis from all studied sites. The concentrations of the sum of seven PCBs (Σ7PCB_S) congeners in analyzed plants ranged between 15.89 and 401.36 ng g^-1. The distributions of OCPs in both water and A. viridis were congener specific, chlorpyrifos-ethyl and p,p'-DDE were predominantly detected. Among PBDEs, only BDE47 was quantified with noticeable concentration in A. viridis, while no PBDEs were detected in irrigation water. Higher estimated daily intake values indicate that consuming leafy vegetables might associate with increased human health risks. However, calculated incremental lifetime cancer risk values indicates no potential carcinogenic risk for the local population. The results of this study provide important information on A. viridis contamination by POPs and strongly recommend implementing the appropriate measures to control the use of chemicals used in studied gardening areas. Thus in Kinshasa, urban agriculture control programs for POPs and fertilizers is very important in order to protect the public health through direct and dietary exposure pathways.

Can pseudocereals modulate microbiota by functioning as probiotics or prebiotics?

Amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat, known as pseudocereals, have been consumed since ancient times and are considered sacred in most cultures. Their grains can be used as cereals for breakfast or mixed with other grains in meals and their health-enhancing effects have been investigated more in recent years. They have an antioxidant effect and their nutrient profiles are enriched with processing techniques such as sprouting and fermentation. Their suitability to different processing techniques and the rapid increase in microbiota researches highlighted the probiotic/prebiotic effects of pseudocereals. Using cultures or naturally fermented amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat exhibited good substrate properties for probiotic bacteria, especially for Lactobacillus strains. Studies have found that they reduce the number of pathogen microorganisms, increase the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids due to their prebiotic effects. Also the number of bacterial colonies do not change during the storage period and their organoleptic properties are revealed. It has been determined that pseudocereals decrease Ruminococcacea, Lachnospiraceae, Helicobacteracea, Clostridium, Escherichia and increase Peptoclostridium, Prevotellaceae, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, and Eubacteriaceae. Due to these effects, they are considered as good sources for synbiotic formulations to be developed for the treatment of dysbiosis, obesity, Celiac Disease, lactose intolerance, inflammatory bowel diseases and inflammation-mediated chronic disorders.

Treasure from garden: Bioactive compounds of buckwheat

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An extensive review on diverse bioactive components of buckwheat.

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Versatile beneficial phytochemicals are abundant in buckwheat.

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Buckwheat has a wide range of pharmacological and beneficial health effects.

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Huge research scope on Fagopyrum cymosum to identify the beneficial phytochemicals.

Buckwheat is a gluten-free crop under the family Polygonaceae abundant with beneficial phytochemicals that provide significant health benefits. It is cultivated and adapted in diverse ecological zones all over the world. Recently its popularity is expanding as a nutrient-rich healthy food with low-calories. The bioactive compounds in buckwheat are flavonoids (i.e., rutin, quercetin, orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, and isovitexin), fatty acids, polysaccharides, proteins, and amino acids, iminosugars, dietary fiber, fagopyrins, resistant starch, vitamins, and minerals. Buckwheat possesses high nutritional value due to these bioactive compounds. Additionally, several essential bioactive factors that have long been gaining interest because these compounds are beneficial for healing and preventing several human diseases. The present review demonstrates an overview of the recent researches regarding buckwheat phytochemicals and particularly focusing on the distinct function of bioactive components with their health benefits.

Effect of Buckwheat Groats Processing on the Content and Bioaccessibility of Selected Minerals

Adequate supply of minerals in the diet is necessary for the proper functioning of the human body. In recent years gluten-free diet, which rigorous forms may lead to deficiencies of mineral components (especially Mg, Mn, Zn and Cu), is becoming more and more popular. Buckwheat grains do not contain gluten, and their nutritional value is very high. They are often consumed in the form of groats, which are obtained from roasted and dehulled seeds. The purpose of the work was to determine how conducting the buckwheat groats production in industrial conditions affects the content and availability of magnesium, manganese, zinc and copper. The results indicated that husk removal had a particularly adverse effect on the total manganese content and its amount released by enzymatic digestion, whereas it had a positive effect on the post-digestion zinc level by increasing it by nearly half. Hydrothermal processes especially affected the release of analysed elements simulated by the in vitro method, and the extent of changes depended on the processing parameters. It was shown that bioaccessibility of minerals may be increased by treating buckwheat at a lower temperature for a short time, which has a particularly beneficial effect on the manganese and magnesium. Treating grains at a higher temperature reduces the bioaccessibility of all analysed elements, which was particularly noted for zinc and copper. Based on the obtained results, it should be stated that buckwheat groats should be a regular part of human diet, because they are a good source of easily digestible mineral compounds. Their consumption should be especially considered by people on a rigorous gluten-free diet, as they can prevent mineral deficiencies associated with its use.

The Handbook of Minerals on a Gluten-Free Diet

The importance of a gluten-free diet (GFD) in the treatment of celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders is undisputable. However, strict GFD often lead to nutritional imbalances and, therefore, to deficiencies. One of the most common deficiencies from a GFD are an insufficient amount of Ca, Fe, Mg, and Zn. This is mainly because the most of popular gluten-free (GF) raw materials are poor in minerals. Although the popularity of GFD is constantly growing, the data on minerals in GF products are still limited. More importantly, an access to the data is even more restricted. Therefore, the paper reviews the Ca, Fe, Mg, and Zn contents in hundreds of grain GF products available worldwide. The data for 444 products from categories of flours, mixes for cooking, bakery products, cereals, groats, rice, and pasta are obtained from research papers and nutritional databases. The calculation of the realization of mineral requirements from a portion of each product with its graphical classification as rich/average/poor source of each mineral is given. The review is a handbook of minerals for people on a GFD, dietitians, and food producers.