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Xi X, Fan G, Xue H, Peng S, Huang W, Zhan J. Harnessing the Potential of Quinoa: Nutritional Profiling, Bioactive Components, and Implications for Health Promotion. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:829. [PMID: 39061898 PMCID: PMC11273950 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13070829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Quinoa, a globally cultivated "golden grain" belonging to Chenopodium in the Amaranthaceae family, is recognized for being gluten-free, with a balanced amino acid profile and multiple bioactive components, including peptides, polysaccharides, polyphenols, and saponins. The bioactive compounds extracted from quinoa offer multifaceted health benefits, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardiovascular disease (CVD) improvement, gut microbiota regulation, and anti-cancer effects. This review aims to intricately outline quinoa's nutritional value, functional components, and physiological benefits. Importantly, we comprehensively provide conclusions on the effects and mechanisms of these quinoa-derived bioactive components on multiple cancer types, revealing the potential of quinoa seeds as promising and effective anti-cancer agents. Furthermore, the health-promoting role of quinoa in modulating gut microbiota, maintaining gut homeostasis, and protecting intestinal integrity was specifically emphasized. Finally, we provided a forward-looking description of the opportunities and challenges for the future exploration of quinoa. However, in-depth studies of molecular targets and clinical trials are warranted to fully understand the bioavailability and therapeutic application of quinoa-derived compounds, especially in cancer treatment and gut microbiota regulation. This review sheds light on the prospect of developing dietary quinoa into functional foods or drugs to prevent and manage human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jicheng Zhan
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.X.); (G.F.); (H.X.); (S.P.); (W.H.)
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Chen J, Hu Y, Zhao T, Huang C, Chen J, He L, Dai F, Chen S, Wang L, Jin S, Zhang T. Comparative transcriptomic analysis provides insights into the genetic networks regulating oil differential production in oil crops. BMC Biol 2024; 22:110. [PMID: 38735918 PMCID: PMC11089805 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01909-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plants differ more than threefold in seed oil contents (SOCs). Soybean (Glycine max), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), rapeseed (Brassica napus), and sesame (Sesamum indicum) are four important oil crops with markedly different SOCs and fatty acid compositions. RESULTS Compared to grain crops like maize and rice, expanded acyl-lipid metabolism genes and relatively higher expression levels of genes involved in seed oil synthesis (SOS) in the oil crops contributed to the oil accumulation in seeds. Here, we conducted comparative transcriptomics on oil crops with two different SOC materials. In common, DIHYDROLIPOAMIDE DEHYDROGENASE, STEAROYL-ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN DESATURASE, PHOSPHOLIPID:DIACYLGLYCEROL ACYLTRANSFERASE, and oil-body protein genes were both differentially expressed between the high- and low-oil materials of each crop. By comparing functional components of SOS networks, we found that the strong correlations between genes in "glycolysis/gluconeogenesis" and "fatty acid synthesis" were conserved in both grain and oil crops, with PYRUVATE KINASE being the common factor affecting starch and lipid accumulation. Network alignment also found a conserved clique among oil crops affecting seed oil accumulation, which has been validated in Arabidopsis. Differently, secondary and protein metabolism affected oil synthesis to different degrees in different crops, and high SOC was due to less competition of the same precursors. The comparison of Arabidopsis mutants and wild type showed that CINNAMYL ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE 9, the conserved regulator we identified, was a factor resulting in different relative contents of lignins to oil in seeds. The interconnection of lipids and proteins was common but in different ways among crops, which partly led to differential oil production. CONCLUSIONS This study goes beyond the observations made in studies of individual species to provide new insights into which genes and networks may be fundamental to seed oil accumulation from a multispecies perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwen Chen
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
| | - Ting Zhao
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chujun Huang
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiani Chen
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lu He
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
| | - Fan Dai
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shuqi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Luyao Wang
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
| | - Shangkun Jin
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tianzhen Zhang
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China.
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China.
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Wu M, Zhou Q, Zhou L, Wang J, Ren T, Zheng Y, Lv W, Zhao W. Enhancement of γ-Aminobutyric Acid and the Characteristics of Nutrition and Function in White Quinoa through Ultrasound Stress at the Pre-Germination Stage. Foods 2023; 13:57. [PMID: 38201084 PMCID: PMC10778457 DOI: 10.3390/foods13010057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The global production of quinoa has been increasing in recent years. In plant-based foods, ultrasound stress has received increasing attention, owing to its ability to enhance the production of primary and secondary metabolites. We studied the effects of ultrasonic stress at the pre-germination stage on the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation and characteristics of nutrition and function in quinoa. The results showed that ultrasonic conditions of 100 W for 4 min promoted an increase in GABA content by 9.15-fold, to 162.47 ± 6.69 mg/100 g·DW, compared to that of untreated quinoa, through promoting a 10.2% and 71.9% increase in the water absorption and glutamate decarboxylase activity of quinoa, respectively. Meanwhile, compared to untreated quinoa, ultrasonic stress at the pre-germination stage enhanced the total phenolic, total flavonoid, and total saponin contents of quinoa by 10.2%, 33.6%, and 90.7%, to 3.29 mg GA/g·DW, 104.0 mg RE/100 g·DW, and 7.13 mg/g, respectively, without decreasing its basic nutritional quality. Ultrasonic stress caused fissures on the surface of quinoa starch particles. Additionally, germination under ultrasonic stress increased the n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids by 14.4%. Furthermore, ultrasonic stress at the pre-germination stage promoted the scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and inhibitions of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase by 14.4%, 14.9%, 24.6%, and 20.0% in vitro, compared to untreated quinoa. The results indicated that the quinoa sprouted via ultrasonic stress could represent a promising method through which to develop nutritionally balanced whole grains rich in GABA, with hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities, which could provide theoretical support for the development of functional whole-grain foods based on quinoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengying Wu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China; (M.W.); (Q.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.W.); (T.R.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Qian Zhou
- College of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China; (M.W.); (Q.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.W.); (T.R.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Liangfu Zhou
- College of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China; (M.W.); (Q.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.W.); (T.R.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Jie Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China; (M.W.); (Q.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.W.); (T.R.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Ting Ren
- College of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China; (M.W.); (Q.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.W.); (T.R.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yu Zheng
- College of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China; (M.W.); (Q.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.W.); (T.R.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Wei Lv
- National Engineering Research Center for Semi-Arid Agriculture, Shijiazhuang 050000, China;
| | - Wen Zhao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, China; (M.W.); (Q.Z.); (L.Z.); (J.W.); (T.R.); (Y.Z.)
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Matías J, Rodríguez MJ, Cruz V, Calvo P, Granado-Rodríguez S, Poza-Viejo L, Fernández-García N, Olmos E, Reguera M. Assessment of the changes in seed yield and nutritional quality of quinoa grown under rainfed Mediterranean environments. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1268014. [PMID: 38023922 PMCID: PMC10662129 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1268014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is considered a serious threat to agriculture and food security. It is linked to rising temperatures and water shortages, conditions that are expected to worsen in the coming decades. Consequently, the introduction of more drought-tolerant crops is required. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has received great attention worldwide due to the nutritional properties of its seeds and its tolerance to abiotic stress. In this work, the agronomic performance and seed nutritional quality of three quinoa varieties were studied during two consecutive years (2019-2020) under three water environmental conditions of Southwestern Europe (irrigated conditions, fresh rainfed, and hard rainfed) with the goal of determining the impact of rainfed conditions on this crop performance. High precipitations were recorded during the 2020 growing season resulting in similar grain yield under irrigation and fresh rainfed conditions. However, in 2019, significant yield differences with penalties under water-limiting conditions were found among the evaluated environmental conditions. Furthermore, nutritional and metabolomic differences were observed among seeds harvested from different water environments including the progressive accumulation of glycine betaine accompanied by an increase in saponin and a decrease in iron with water limitation. Generally, water-limiting environments were associated with increased protein contents and decreased yields preserving a high nutritional quality despite particular changes. Overall, this work contributes to gaining further knowledge about how water availability affects quinoa field performance, as it might impact both seed yield and quality. It also can help reevaluate rainfed agriculture, as water deficit can positively impact the nutritional quality of seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Matías
- Agrarian Research Institute “La Orden-Valdesequera” of Extremadura (CICYTEX), Badajoz, Spain
| | - María José Rodríguez
- Technological Institute of Food and Agriculture of Extremadura (CICYTEX), Badajoz, Spain
| | - Verónica Cruz
- Agrarian Research Institute “La Orden-Valdesequera” of Extremadura (CICYTEX), Badajoz, Spain
| | - Patricia Calvo
- Technological Institute of Food and Agriculture of Extremadura (CICYTEX), Badajoz, Spain
| | | | - Laura Poza-Viejo
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nieves Fernández-García
- Department of Abiotic Stress and Plant Pathology, CEBAS-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Murcia, Spain
| | - Enrique Olmos
- Department of Abiotic Stress and Plant Pathology, CEBAS-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Reguera
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Unique nutritional features that distinguish Amaranthus cruentus L. and Chenopodium quinoa Willd seeds. Food Res Int 2023; 164:112160. [PMID: 36737889 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Univariate (Analysis of Variance_ANOVA) and multivariate (Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA)) analyses were performed in order to classify and authenticate the seeds from different varieties of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Will.), and amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.). The univariate analysis showed differences between species for sucrose, K, Ca, unsaturated fatty acids, and the ω6/ω3 ratio. Nevertheless, to strengthen this classification, a PCA was applied separating the samples in 2 groups; group 1, formed by quinoa seeds, presented higher contents of margaroleic, eicosadienoic, behenic, erucic, linolenic, linoleic, and gadoleic acids, proteins, sucrose, and total sugars. Group 2, formed by amaranth seeds, showed positive values for Mn, Mg, Fe, P, Zn, Ca, fiber, glucose, and ω6/ω3 ratio. Furthermore, the CDA models developed resulted in a probability of event of 100% when classifying the samples in the groups quinoa or amaranth, highlighting the good sensitivity of the models used.
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Chaudhary N, Walia S, Kumar R. Functional composition, physiological effect and agronomy of future food quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): A review. J Food Compost Anal 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Hlásná Cepková P, Dostalíková L, Viehmannová I, Jágr M, Janovská D. Diversity of quinoa genetic resources for sustainable production: A survey on nutritive characteristics as influenced by environmental conditions. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.960159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental extremes and climatic variability have enhanced the changes in numerous plant stressors. Researchers have been working to improve “major” crops for several decades to make them more adaptable and tolerant to environmental stresses. However, neglected and underutilized crop species that have the potential to ensure food and nutritional security for the ever-growing global population have received little or no research attention. Quinoa is one of these crops. It is a pseudocereal, considered a rich and balanced food resource due to its protein content and protein quality, high mineral content, and health benefits. This review provides currently available information on the genetic resources of quinoa and their quality in terms of variability of economically important traits such as yield, and the content of bioactive compounds, such as protein and amino acid composition. The influence of variety and environmental conditions on selected traits is also discussed. The various types of nutrients present in the different varieties form the basis and are key for future breeding efforts and for efficient, healthy, and sustainable food production.
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Granado-Rodríguez S, Maestro-Gaitán I, Matías J, Rodríguez MJ, Calvo P, Hernández LE, Bolaños L, Reguera M. Changes in nutritional quality-related traits of quinoa seeds under different storage conditions. Front Nutr 2022; 9:995250. [PMID: 36324620 PMCID: PMC9620721 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.995250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the context of climate change and its impact on global food security, seed storage has become key, as it ensures long-term food and next-season seed preservation. Aiming at evaluating quality-related changes in quinoa seeds over storage time, different storage temperatures (–20, 4, 12, 25, and 37°C) and humidity conditions (use of silica gel or not) were studied and different seed nutritional parameters were evaluated at different points during a year of storage. Also, to determine if these variations could be conditioned by the genotype used, two quinoa cultivars were compared. The results proved that quinoa seed quality is highly dependent on the storage temperature but is not consistently affected by the use of silica gel if the seed moisture content (SMC) is kept between 5 and 12%. Furthermore, quality can be maintained and even improved by keeping SMC lower than 12% and storage temperatures low (4°C). Under these conditions (at 4°C in hermetic packaging with or without silica gel), and after 12 months of storage, there was an increase in amino acids like isoleucine, serine, arginine, glycine, and glutamic acid and in seed viability and germination. On the contrary, quinoa seeds stored at 37°C showed an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which was related to a lower antioxidant capacity and a reduction in the contents of essential amino acids like isoleucine, lysine, histidine, and threonine, resulting in a delayed and reduced germination capacity, and, therefore, lower seed quality. Besides, quality-related differences appeared between cultivars highlighting differences linked to the genotype. Overall, this work demonstrates that optimal storage temperatures and SMC can preserve or even improve quinoa seed nutritional quality, which in turn can impact food safety and agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Javier Matías
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX), Agrarian Research Institute “La Orden-Valdesequera” of Extremadura, Guadajira, Spain
| | - María José Rodríguez
- Technological Institute of Food and Agriculture of Extremadura, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX), Guadajira, Spain
| | - Patricia Calvo
- Technological Institute of Food and Agriculture of Extremadura, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX), Guadajira, Spain
| | | | - Luis Bolaños
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Reguera
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Maria Reguera,
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Li Q, Zhang W, Shen D, Li Z, Shu J, Liu Y. Comprehensive lipidomics analysis reveals the changes in lipid profile of camellia oil affected by insect damage. Front Nutr 2022; 9:993334. [PMID: 36118741 PMCID: PMC9478382 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.993334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Information on changes in lipid composition of seed oils under biotic stresses is scare. The camellia weevil, Curculio chinensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) as a notorious seed predator of Camellia species, has caused huge economic losses in China. Lipidomics is used in this study to reveal the lipid composition of camellia oil and its changes after insect damage. 278 lipids including glycerolipids (GL) (221), glycerophospholipids (GP) (34), fatty acyls (FA) (13), sphingolipids (SP) (8), prenol lipids (PR) (1) and sterol lipids (ST) (1) were determined in camellia oils. Insect damage had a significant impact on lipids, particularly FA and GL. Ten significantly different lipids [FFA(18:2), FFA(24:6), TG(14:1/18:2/18:2), TG(16:0/23:0/18:2), TG(20:1/24:1/18:2), TG(18:2/24:0/18:2), TG(16:3/18:2/22:5), PI(16:1/18:1), PE(16:0/18:1), PE(18:1/18:2)] were identified as potential biomarkers for distinguishing oil extracted from non-infested oilseeds and oil from infested oilseeds. We also detected four most important metabolic pathways by bioinformatics analysis to explore the mechanisms underlying changes. Our findings may be useful for future camellia oil production and may provide new insight into improving of nutritional quality of camellia oil.
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Garcia-Parra MÁ, Roa-Acosta DF, Bravo-Gomez JE, Hernández-Criado JC, Villada-Castillo HS. Effects of Altitudinal Gradient on Physicochemical and Rheological Potential of Quinoa Cultivars. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.862238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein, carbohydrate, and fat characteristics of quinoa grains reflect in their techno-functional potential. This aspect has been little studied in quinoa, while some physicochemical and rheological characteristics have been generalized for all cultivars under all primary production conditions. The aim of this research is to determine the agro-industrial potential of different quinoa cultivars evaluated under different environments through physicochemical and rheological responses. This study has a factorial design with a first level corresponding to cultivars and a second level to production zones. The results showed that the cultivars present high compositional variability. It was also found that the altitudinal gradient changes protein and starch composition, protein secondary structure, and starch structural conformation. In addition, significant variations were found in viscosity, breakdown, and dispersion setback for all treatments. However, there were no differences between treatments before heating/cooling and after heat treatment.
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