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This study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) on the accumulation of flavonoids, total phenolics and d - chiro -inositol (DCI), as well as the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, in tartary buckwheat sprouts. Treatment with low concentrations of NaHCO 3 (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2%) resulted in an increase in flavonoids, total phenolic compounds and DCI concentrations, and improved DPPH radical-scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibition activities compared with the control (0%). The highest levels of total flavonoids (26.69 mg/g DW), individual flavonoids (rutin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, and kaempferol), total phenolic compounds (29.31 mg/g DW), DCI (12.56 mg/g DW), as well as antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition activities, were observed in tartary buckwheat sprouts treated with 0.05% NaHCO 3 for 96 h. These results indicated that appropriate treatment with NaHCO 3 could improve the healthy benefits of tartary buckwheat sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Black rice is rich in anthocyanins-plant pigments. The aim of this work was to identify anthocyanins in black rice using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization — mass spectrometry with diode array detection. Four different anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside) were identified in black rice. Thermal stability of the four anthocyanins in black rice extract was studied at selected temperatures (80°C, 90°C and 100°C) in the range of pH 1.0–pH 6.0. The results indicated that the thermal degradation of anthocyanins followed the first-order reaction kinetics. The temperature-dependent degradation was adequately modeled on the Arrhenius equation. The calculated values of activation energies (Ea), t 1/2 and k were different for the four anthocyanins. The degradation rate of monomeric anthocyanin increased with increasing heating temperature and pH values. Especially, as heating temperature increasing to 100°C and pH value to 5.0. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study focused on the evaluation of changes in phytochemical compositions, antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities during the processing of tartary buckwheat tea. Soak-treating tartary buckwheat significantly decreased the contents of total starch and rutin, whereas significantly increased the contents of quercetin, kaempferol, total flavonoid, and total phenolic compounds. In steam-treating soaked tartary buckwheat for 40–60min, the contents of total starch, protein, crude fat, isoquercitrin, quercetin, kaempferol, total flavonoid and total phenolic compounds significantly decreased, whereas the content of rutin significantly increased. The reaction of rutin degrading might be catalyzed in soaking processing, and a catalytic reverse shift reaction of rutin-synthesizing might take place in steaming processing. The process of drying and roasting significantly decreased the contents of total starch, rutin, total flavonoid, and total phenolic compounds. The total phenolic content of collected tartary buckwheat materials positively correlated with the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tartary buckwheat tea, which is an important and healthy product, has a distinct malty aroma. However, its characteristic aroma compounds have not been elucidated. The aims of present study were identification and quantification of its aroma compounds. The analyses were performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after 3 different isolation techniques. Seventy-seven compounds were identified. Among these compounds, 35 were quantified by available standards. The compounds with a high probability of contribution to the tartary buckwheat tea aroma (OAV ≥ 10) were as follows: 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2 H)-furanone, nonanal, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, benzeneacetaldehyde, maltol, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine, trimethylpyrazine. Some nutritional and bioactive compounds were also identified in this study, such as linoleic acid, niacin, vanillic acid, 7-hydroxycoumarin, butylated hydroxytoluene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet], a plant belonging to the leguminous family and traditionally used for medicinal purposes in China, is a valuable resource with a wide range of health benefits. This review examines the bioactive compounds, health‐promoting properties and functional food potential of hyacinth bean, highlighting its role in protecting against metabolic diseases and the underlying molecular mechanisms. According to existing research, hyacinth bean contains a diverse array of bioactive compounds, Consumption of hyacinth beans and hyacinth bean‐related processed food products, as well as their use in medicines, is associated with a variety of health benefits that are increasingly favoured by the scientific community. In light of these findings, we posit that hyacinth bean holds great promise for further research and food application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinoa is a resilient crop known for its adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. This study examined the agronomic performance and ecological adaptability of quinoa across four distinct altitudes in the northwestern regions of China. Six quinoa genotypes were assessed for agronomic traits, phenology and yield performances, and nutritional quality characteristics in Yining city, Nilka County, Tekes County and Zhaosu County under varied environmental conditions. Our findings demonstrate significant variations in all measured traits, including agronomic and nutritional quality traits, across the various altitudes and genotypes. In Yining city, a warmer and lower altitude area, genotypes exhibit superior traits for fodder production, including increased branches, longer panicles, robust stems, and high seed protein content. Genotypes Jinli 1 and Beijing 2 achieve yields exceeding 3 tons per hectare (t/ha), highlighting the region's productivity. The Nilka and Tekes counties boasted the shortest quinoa crop cycles, with Jinli 1 yielding 4.05 t/ha seeds in Tekes County, exhibiting high protein and fat content alongside low saponins, making it a prime location for yield production. Zhaosu County, with its cooler climate and fertile chernozem soil, elicited high 1000 seed weight and more robust protein response than Nilka and Tekes counties, illustrating the impact of soil fertility on nutritional composition. Correlation analyses further elucidated that the plants characterized by shorter flowering times, crop cycles, compact inflorescence, and taller heights exhibited superior seed yields. Our study contributes significant insights into the ecological adaptability and nutritional dynamics of quinoa, with implications for sustainable crop production and food security in diverse agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polysaccharide component (SQAP-2) was isolated from quinoa by alkaline extraction and purified with DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S-300 column chromatography. The chemical structure of the polysaccharide was characterized, and the impact on antioxidant activity was evaluated. Polysaccharide SQAP-2 (2.02 × 103 Da) is a type of glucose whose glycosidic bond Glc-(1→, →4)-Glcp-(1→, →4, 6)-Glcp-(1→ linkages were identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed the monosaccharide composition and glycosidic linkage content, and a suggestion of the structural formula was provided. Their radical scavenging capacity was evaluated, and scavenging activity against DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl, superoxide radicals, and ferric reducing ability exhibited excellent radical scavenging activities of approximately 21.71 ± 1.25%, 49.46 ± 1.59%, 70.10 ± 3.39%, 70.49 ± 2.09%, 51.25 ± 1.16%, respectively, at 3 mg/mL. The isolated quinoa polysaccharides could represent an antioxidant agent once the structural features and antioxidant activities are definitively characterized. Image 1 • A new alkali-extracted polysaccharide SQAP-2 was isolated from quinoa. • The chemical structure of SQAP-2 was characterized by FI-IR, GC-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. • SQAP-2 exhibited strong antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lunasin is a soybean-derived peptide that exhibits anticancer bioactivity in different cancer cells and has been identified in different plants. However, recent studies revealed through molecular and chemical analyses that lunasin was absent in wheat and other cereals. In this study, the soybean-derived lunasin was cloned into pCAMBIA3300 and we transferred the expression vector into wheat via an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The identification of transgenic wheat was detected by polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that lunasin content in transgenic wheat L32-3, L32-6, and L33-1 was 308.63, 436.78, and 349.07 µg/g, respectively, while lunasin was not detected in wild-type wheat. Lunasin enrichment from transgenic wheat displayed an increased anti-proliferative activity compared with peptide enrichment from wild-type wheat in HT-29 cells. Moreover, the results of a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed a significant elevation in p21, Bax, and caspase-3 expression, while Bcl-2 was significantly downregulated. In conclusion, soybean-derived lunasin was successfully expressed in wheat via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and may exert anti-proliferative activity by regulating the apoptosis pathway in HT-29 cells, which provides an effective approach to compensate for the absence of lunasin in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPlant-based proteins (PBPs), which are environmentally friendly and sustainable sources of nutrition, can address the emerging challenges facing the global food supply due to the rapidly increasing population. PBPs have received much attention in recent decades as a result of high nutritional values, good functional properties, and potential health effects. This review aims to summarize the nutritional, functional and digestive profiles of PBPs, the health effects of their hydrolysates, as well as processing methods to improve the digestibility of PBPs. The diversity of plant protein sources plays an important role in improving the PBPs quality. Several types of models such as in vitro (the static and semi-dynamic INFOGEST) and in silico models have been proposed and used in simulating the digestion of PBPs. Processing methods including germination, fermentation, thermal and non-thermal treatment can be applied to improve the digestibility of PBPs. PBPs and their hydrolysates show potential health effects including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-cancer activities. Based on the literature, diverse PBPs are ideal protein sources, and exhibit favorable digestive properties and health benefits that could be further improved by different processing technologies. Future research should explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the bioactivity of PBPs and their hydrolysates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to reveal the underlying mechanisms of the differences in viscoelasticity and digestibility between mung bean starch (MBS) and proso millet starch (PMS) from the viewpoint of starch fine molecular structure. The contents of amylopectin B2 chains (14.94–15.09 %), amylopectin B3 chains (14.48–15.07 %) and amylose long chains (183.55–198.84) in MBS were significantly higher than PMS (10.45–10.76 %, 12.48–14.07 % and 70.59–88.03, respectively). MBS with higher amylose content (AC, 28.45–31.80 %) not only exhibited a lower weight-average molar mass (91,750.65–128,120.44 kDa) and R 1047/1022 (1.1520–1.1904), but also was significantly lower than PMS in relative crystallinity (15.22–23.18 %, p < 0.05). MBS displayed a higher storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G′′) than PMS. Although only MBS-1 showed two distinct and discontinuous phases, MBS exhibited a higher resistant starch (RS) content than PMS (31.63–39.23 %), with MBS-3 having the highest RS content (56.15 %). Correlation analysis suggested that the amylopectin chain length distributions and AC played an important role in affecting the crystal structure, viscoelastic properties and in vitro starch digestibility of MBS and PMS. These results will provide a theoretical and scientific basis for the development of starch science and industrial production of low glycemic index starchy food. [Display omitted] • The crystal structure of mung bean starch (MBS) was weaker than proso millet starch (PMS). • High amounts of amylopectin short-chains weakened the viscoelastic properties of PMS. • MBS-1 with the lowest amylose content (AC) and h Am,ii reflected two digestion phases. • MBS reflected lower maximum starch digestibility and higher resistant starch content than PMS. • The amylopectin chain-length distributions and AC are the root cause of these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), a dicotyledonous species native to Andean region, is an emerging crop worldwide nowadays due to its high nutritional value and resistance to extreme abiotic stresses. Although it is well known that seed germination is an important and multiple physiological process, the network regulation of quinoa seed germination is largely unknown. Results: Here, we performed transcriptomic study in five stages during transition from quinoa dry seed to seedling. Together with the GC–MS based metabolome analysis, we found that seed metabolism is reprogrammed with significant alteration of multiple phytohormones (especially abscisic acid) and other nutrients during the elongation of radicels. Cell-wall remodeling is another main active process happening in the early period of quinoa seed germination. Photosynthesis was fully activated at the final stage, promoting the biosynthesis of amino acids and protein to allow seedling growth. The multi-omics analysis revealed global changes in metabolic pathways and phenotype during quinoa seed germination. Conclusion: The transcriptomic and metabolomic landscape depicted here pave ways for further gene function elucidation and quinoa development in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Starch chain length distributions (CLDs) varied among foxtail millet varieties. • Amylopectin (Ap) long chains decreased the digestibility of ungelatinized starch. • Long-term retrograded starch showed a lower digestibility than short-term retrograded. • Abundant amylose (Am) long chains reduced short-term retrograded starch's digestion. • The CLDs of Am and Ap determined the digestibility of long-term retrograded starch. The digestibility of ungelatinized, short-term retrograded and long-term retrograded starch from foxtail millet was investigated and correlated with starch chain length distributions (CLDs). Some variations in starch CLDs of different varieties were obtained. Huangjingu and Zhonggu 9 had higher average chain lengths of debranched starch and lower average chain length ratios of amylopectin and amylose than Dajinmiao and Jigu 168. Compared to ungelatinized starch, retrogradation significantly increased the estimated glycemic index (eGI), whereas significantly decreased the resistant starch (RS). In contrast, long-term retrograded starches have lower eGI (93.33–97.37) and higher RS (8.04–14.55%) than short-term retrograded starch. PCA and correlation analysis showed that amylopectin with higher amounts of long chains and longer long chains contributed to reduced digestibility in ungelatinized starch. Both amylose and amylopectin CLDs were important for the digestibility of retrograded starch. This study helps a better understanding of the interaction of starch CLDs and digestibility during retrogradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study was undertaken to assess the changes of phytochemical profiles, antioxidant, α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities of sorghum grain during the processes of sorghum tea production. Significant (p <0.05) changes of total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC) and procyanidins (PAC) contents were found in sorghum grains during soaking, steaming and roasting processing. Significant (p <0.05) increases of ferulic (free) and p-coumaric acid (bound) were present in sorghum upon steaming processing. Roasting processing (150°C, 1h) caused significant (p <0.05) increases in phenolic acids, TPC, TFC and PAC compared with the soaking and steaming stages. Accompanied with the changes of phytochemicals of sorghum grain, there were complex changes of biological activities during the successive processes. Our study also showed that there were positive linear correlations between TPC, TFC, PAC and bioactivities of sorghum grain, however, PAC has the strongest correlation (0.979, 0.968 and 0.912, respectively, p <0.0001) with DPPH radical-scavenging activity, α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Rutin, isoquercetin and quercetin were mainly flavonoids components in tartary buckwheat bran extract (TBBE). [•] First time observed antibacterial activity of TBBE against predominant bacterial strains in sebaceous sites. [•] Quercetin and isoquerectin or the interaction between quercetin, isoquerectin and rutin attribute to the bioactive of TBBE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Soluble dietary fibers from various quinoa microgreens (QMSDFs) were firstly studied. • All QMSDFs were rich in pectic-polysaccharides, e.g., HG and RG I pectic domains. • All QMSDFs exerted remarkable antioxidant, prebiotic, and immunoregulatory effects. • Their low molecular weights might partially contribute to their high bioactivities. • QMSDFs had good potentials to be developed as value-added healthy products. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) microgreens are widely consumed as healthy vegetables around the world. Although soluble dietary fibers exist as the major bioactive macromolecules in quinoa microgreens, their structural characteristics and bioactive properties are still unclear. Therefore, the structural characteristics and bioactive properties of soluble dietary fibers from various quinoa microgreens (QMSDFs) were investigated in this study. The yields of QMSDFs ranged from 38.82 to 52.31 mg/g. Indeed, all QMSDFs were predominantly consisted of complex pectic-polysaccharides, e.g., homogalacturonan (HG) and rhamnogalacturonan I (RG I) pectic domains, with the molecular weights ranged from 2.405 × 104 to 5.538 × 104 Da. In addition, the proportions between RG I and HG pectic domains in all QMSDFs were estimated in the range of 1: 2.34–1: 4.73 (ratio of galacturonic acid/rhamnose). Furthermore, all QMSDFs exhibited marked in vitro antioxidant, antiglycation, prebiotic, and immunoregulatory effects, which may be partially correlated to their low molecular weights and low esterification degrees. These findings are helpful for revealing the structural and biological properties of QMSDFs, which can offer some new insights into further development of quinoa microgreens and related QMSDFs as value-added healthy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Extrusion treatment altered the structure of Tartary buckwheat protein. • High moisture extrusion decreased protein molecular weight. • Extrusion enhanced solubility, foaming capacity and surface hydrophobicity. • Extrusion at 100 °C resulted in higher disulfide bond content than 70 °C. • Extrusion at 70 °C exhibited higher emulsifying ability and digestibility. Tartary buckwheat is rich in nutrients and its protein supports numerous biological functions. However, the digestibility of Tartary buckwheat protein (TBP) poses a significant limitation owing to its inherent structure. This study aimed to assess the impact of high moisture extrusion (HME, 60 % moisture content) on the structural and physicochemical attributes, as well as the in vitro digestibility of TBP. Our results indicated that TBP exhibited unfolded and amorphous microstructures after HME. The protein molecular weight of TBP decreased after HME, and a greater degradation was observed at 70 °C than 100 °C. In particular, HME at 70 °C caused an almost complete disappearance of bands near 35 kDa compared with HME at 100 °C. In addition, compared with native TBP (NTBP, 44.53 µmol/g protein), TBP subjected to HME at 70 °C showed a lower disulfide bond (SS) content (42.67 µmol/g protein), whereas TBP subjected to HME at 100 °C demonstrated a higher SS content (45.70 µmol/g protein). These changes endowed TBP with good solubility (from 55.96 % to 83.31 % at pH 7), foaming ability (20.00 %–28.57 %), and surface hydrophobicity (8.34–23.07). Furthermore, the emulsifying activity (EA) and in vitro digestibility are closely related to SS content. Notably, extruded TBP (ETBP) obtained at 70 °C exhibited higher EA and digestibility than NTBP, whereas ETBP obtained at 100 °C showed the opposite trend. Consequently, HME (especially at 70 °C) demonstrated significant potential as a processing technique for improving the functional and digestive properties of TBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, self-assembly peptides with hydrogel properties that are used in various applications are being chemically synthesized. These peptides not only have safety and environmental problems but are also expensive and cumbersome to prepare. The present study established a convenient and efficient method for producing plant-based peptides with decent gel-forming ability from quinoa proteins. After alkaline protease treatment, hydrogels made with quinoa protein hydrolysis exhibited potent self-assembly capacity, enhanced gel hardness, and improved rheological properties. Moreover, the microstructure results revealed that the quinoa peptide hydrogels had regular, uniform, and interconnected porous structures. These observations were primarily attributed to the hydrogen bonding force and hydrophobic aggregation caused by hydrophobic group exposure. Amino acid and proteomics analysis suggested that the amino acid composition and sequence of quinoa peptides significantly influenced the formation of self-assembled hydrogels. Overall, this study provided a cost-effective approach to improve the gelling ability of quinoa protein and could potentially replace the use of chemically synthesized peptides in various applications, laying the theoretical basis for the development of novel natural plant-based foods. [Display omitted] • Self-assembled quinoa peptides were produced using enzymatic hydrolysis. • QPH could self-assemble into hydrogels without toxic chemicals and crosslinkers. • QPH displayed improved rheological properties and a more regular microstructure. • Driving forces, especially H-bonding, were responsible for QPH hydrogel formation. • QPH exhibited the typical molecular characteristics of a self-assembled hydrogel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch chain-length distributions play an important role in controlling cereal product texture and starch physicochemical properties. Cooked foxtail millet texture and starch physicochemical properties were investigated and correlated with starch chain-length distributions in eight foxtail millet varieties. The average chain lengths of amylopectin and amylose were in the range of DP 24–25 and DP 878–1128, respectively. The percentage of short amylopectin chains (Ap1) was negatively correlated with hardness but positively correlated with adhesiveness and cohesion. Conversely, the amount of amylose intermediate chains was positively correlated with hardness but negatively correlated with adhesiveness and cohesion. Additionally, the amount of amylose long chains was negatively correlated with adhesiveness and chewiness. The relative crystallinity (RC) of starch decreased with reductions in the length of amylopectin short chains in foxtail millet. Pasting properties were mainly influenced by the relative length of amylopectin side chains and the percentage of long amylopectin branches (Ap2). Longer amylopectin long chains resulted in lower gelatinization temperature and enthalpy (ΔH). The amount of starch branched chains had important effects on the gelatinization temperature range (ΔT). These results can provide guidance for breeders and food scientists in the selection of foxtail millet with improved quality properties. [Display omitted] • Foxtail millet generally has long amylopectin chains and short amylose chains. • Foxtail millet varieties with lower hardness have much better palatability. • Higher branching degree of amylopectin chains led to softer cooked foxtail millet. • Starch chain-length distributions were important for its thermal properties. • Starch thermal properties determine the texture of cooked foxtail millet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the bio‐accessibility of the phenolics and flavonoid, the polyphenolic profile and the antioxidant activity of sprouts obtained from four different quinoa genotypes and one djulis cultivar during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Compared to their content in sprouts, the bioavailable phenolics after the oral phase, the gastric phase, the intestinal phase, and in the dialyzable fraction were in the ranges of 45.7%–63.5%, 87.6%–116.7%, 89.6%–124.5%, and 7.4%–10.9%, respectively. The trend in flavonoid bio‐accessibility was similar to the polyphenols. The dialyzable flavonoid recoveries varied between 4.2% and 12.4%. Correspondingly, the free radical scavenging activity of the dialyzable phase decreased significantly from 84.7% to 96.5%. The main phenolic acids were vanillic acid, caffeic acid, and syringic acid during digestion. The results suggest that gastrointestinal digestion greatly affected the absorption of polyphenols and flavonoid of quinoa and djulis sprouts, as well as their antioxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chenopodium quinoa , a halophytic crop belonging to the Amaranthaceae, has remarkable resistance to harsh growth conditions and produces seed with excellent nutritional value. This makes it a suitable crop for marginal soils. However, to date most of the commercial cultivars are susceptible to preharvest sprouting (PHS). Meanwhile, understanding of the PHS regulatory mechanisms is still limited. Abscisic acid (ABA) has been demonstrated to be tightly associated with seed dormancy and germination regulation in many crops. Whether ABA metabolism pathway could be manipulated to prevent PHS in quinoa is worth investigating. In the present study, we tested the inhibitory effects of exogenous ABA on quinoa seed germination. By RNA-seq analysis we investigated the global gene expression changes during seed germination, and obtained 1066 ABA-repressed and 392 ABA-induced genes. Cis -elements enrichment analysis indicated that the promoters of these genes were highly enriched in motifs "AAAAAAAA" and "ACGTGKC (K = G/T)", the specific binding motifs of ABI3/VP1 and ABI5. Transcription factor annotation showed that 13 genes in bHLH, MADS-box, G2-like and NF-YB, and five genes in B3, bZIP, GATA and LBD families were specifically ABA-repressed and -induced, respectively. Furthermore, expression levels of 53 key homologs involved in seed dormancy and germination regulation were markedly changed. Hence, we speculated that the 18 transcription factors and the homologs were potential candidates involved in ABA-mediated seed dormancy and germination regulation, which could be manipulated for molecular breeding of quinoa elites with PHS tolerance in future. • Chenopodium quinoa is a highly nutritious grain but is susceptible to preharvest sprouting. • Application of exogenous ABA inhibits quinoa seed germination. • RNA-seq analysis was used to explore the global transcriptional changes in control and ABA-treated quinoa seeds. • 18 transcription factors and 53 key homologs were identified to be highly associated with quinoa seed dormancy and germination regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quinoa and its bioactive components have a variety of health promoting effects. • The content of bioactive compounds in quinoa are changed during processing. • Quinoa should be promoted in the fields of functional food, feed, and cosmetics. Quinoa is one of the gluten-free crops that has attracted considerable interest. Quinoa contains functional ingredients such as bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, saponins, polyphenols, flavonoids and other compounds. It is very important to determine efficient methods to identify such functional ingredients, and to explain their possible health benefits in humans. In this review, the chemical structure and biological activity mechanisms of quinoa nutrient composition have been elaborated. In addition, the development of quinoa-based functional foods and feed is emerging, providing a reference for the development of functional products with quinoa as an ingredient that are beneficial to health. The active ingredients in quinoa have different health effects including antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity activities. Further exploration is also needed to improve the application of quinoa within the functional food industry, and in the areas of feed, medicine and cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Quinoa protein (QP) and its hydrolysate (QPH) consumption alleviated colon cancer progression in AOM/DSS treated mice. • QP and QPH reversed the reduction of SCFAs induced by AOM/DSS in the colon tissue. • QP and QPH partly restored the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in colorectal cancer (CRC) mice. • The digestion extent of quinoa protein influenced the functional profile of bacterial taxa. Quinoa protein hydrolysate has been previously reported to exert anti-cancer effects in cultured colon cancer cells. Here, we investigated the effect of quinoa protein and its hydrolysate on an azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS)-induced mouse model of colorectal cancer (CRC) and examined its underlying mechanism using gut microbiota analysis and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production analysis. Our results showed that quinoa protein or its hydrolysate mitigated the clinical symptoms of CRC and increased SCFAs contents in colon tissues. Moreover, administration of quinoa protein or its hydrolysate partially alleviated gut microbiota dysbiosis in CRC mice by decreasing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria and increasing the abundance of probiotics. Additionally, PICRUSt analysis revealed that the functional profile of gut microbiota in the quinoa protein treated groups was more similar to that of the control group. These findings indicated that the modulation of gut microbiota by quinoa protein diet intervention may ameliorate AOM/DSS-induced CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartary buckwheat is a promising pseudocereal with health benefits. However, native Tartary buckwheat flour (NTBF) cannot satisfy the specific physicochemical properties required for food processing due to its gluten-free character. This study investigated structural and physicochemical properties, the starch digestibility of Tartary buckwheat flour pregelatinized with traditional extrusion processing technology (TEPT), and improved extrusion processing technology (IEPT). TEPT had a higher destructive effect on the starch structure than IEPT. Amorphous flakes and incomplete starch granules were observed in pregelatinized Tartary buckwheat flour (PTBF). After extrusion, the relative crystallinity, endothermic enthalpy, the slowly digested starch (SDS) and resistant starch content decreased by 23.76–70.44%, 48.91–100.00%, 28.43–88.65% and 53.23–78.79%, respectively. However, the amylose molecular weight of branched starches, the degree of gelatinization (DG), the water absorption index (WAI), the starch digestibility, the rapidly digested starch content, and the glycemic index increased by 29.00–119.04%, 26.05–1279.88%, 4.2–188.70%, 9.2–19.96%, 113.04–236.25%, and 25.55–37.00%, respectively. For IEPT, crystallinity decreased with the increase in extrusion temperature and the decrease in feed moisture, whereas the DG and WAI showed a contrary trend. Compared to TEPT (5.05%), PTBF obtained with IEPT retained a higher SDS content (11.28–31.85%). Starch digestion of all samples possessed a combination of sequential and parallel digestion patterns. Correlation analysis suggested that an increase in the destructive effect on the starch structure from IEPT to TEPT was responsible for the changes in physicochemical properties and improvement of in vitro starch digestibility. This study provides a scientific basis for the quality improvement in Tartary buckwheat starchy foods following extrusion. [Display omitted] • Extrusion treatment destroyed the starch structure in Tartary buckwheat flour. • Improved extrusion had a lower destructive effect than traditional extrusion. • Extrusion increased the weight molecular size distributions of amylose. • Extrusion enhanced gelatinization, hydration properties and starch digestibility. • Improved extruded Samples retained higher SDS content than traditional extruded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartary buckwheat tea (TBT) is becoming increasingly popular for its unique flavor and health benefits. However, there is little information regarding the differences in nutritional quality among different kinds of TBT. Two kinds of TBT samples, whole grain tea (WGT) and whole plant tea (WPT), were collected from markets in China. The content of their nutritional compositions, including protein, amino acids, starch, fat, fatty acids, and flavonoids, as well as aroma compounds, were determined. Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were also evaluated. WPT showed higher levels of protein and fat relative to WGT, but the content of essential amino acids and fatty acids was lower. WPT contained more total flavonoids with quercetin as the predominant flavonoid (81%), while rutin was the principal flavonoid compound (86%) in WGT. GC-MS analysis indicated that there were some differences in the aroma compound profile between WGT and WPT, though 14 aroma compounds were identified in both of them with 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethyl-pyrazine as the predominant compound. In addition, WPT showed superior antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities than WGT. However, the total flavonoid content determined in tea soup was decreased by 60% and 98% compared with that in the alcohol extracts of WGT and WPT, respectively. The antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of tea soup were also lowered, especially for WPT. The differences between 2 kinds of TBT might be due to the variety of raw materials and processing methods. Diversified plant materials and scientific processing technologies should be taken into account to develop a nutritional and healthy TBT product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Adding quinoa flour significantly increased free sulfhydryl in wheat/quinoa dough. • Adding germinated quinoa flour promoted the transition of β-turns to β-sheets. • The addition of quinoa flour could disrupt the continuity of the gluten network. • The dilution of the gluten structure improved pasta starch digestibility in vitro. • A recipe of 20 % of germinated quinoa (24 h) flour in wheat flour is recommended. The effect of adding native or germinated quinoa flour to wheat flour on gluten structure, starch digestibility and quality properties in pasta was evaluated. The free sulfhydryl contents in wheat/quinoa dough (1.41–3.16 μmol/g) were higher than the wheat dough content (0.764 μmol/g). The gluten network was gradually disrupted as additions of quinoa increased, resulting in improved starch digestibility. Further, germinated quinoa showed greater disruption and starch digestibility effects than native quinoa. Although the cooking quality of pasta decreased with additions of quinoa, cooking losses were below 7 %, which is acceptable. Adding excess germinated quinoa (30 %) had negative impacts on the textural properties. The sensory quality of pasta with 10–20 % native or germinated quinoa (24 h) flour (QF24) was acceptable. These findings suggested that a recipe of 20 % QF24 in wheat flour is recommended to develop wheat/germinated quinoa pasta with improved digestibility and acceptable changes in qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing consumption of quinoa flour has triggered an elevating concern about its adulteration with similar but cheaper cereals. Herein, a headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) method was applied for the authentication of laboratory-made quinoa flour adulteration with wheat and rice flours. A total of 81 volatile compounds were detected from the 28 samples. Principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to distinguish pure from adulterated samples. Authentic and adulterated quinoa flours using different proportions (5, 10, 20, 40, and 80%, w/w) were easily classified based on their volatile profiles. More importantly, n-hexanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, (E)-2-hexenal, butyrolactone, 1,8-cineole, alpha-phellandrene, 2-propanone, and 2-hexanone were proposed to be volatile markers for quinoa flour authentication from the adulterants. The HS-GC-IMS based determination of volatiles was confirmed to be an effective method for adulteration detection of quinoa flour. • A rapid and simple HS-GC-IMS method was developed for quinoa flour authentication. • Authentic and adulterated flours could be easily classified by PCA, CA and OPLS-DA. • Adulterants of wheat or rice flour could be detected even at the proportion of 5%. • n-Hexanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, etc. were taken as aroma markers for discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 36 and 53 volatiles were identified in raw and cooked quinoa seeds, respectively. • Volatile profile of quinoa is obviously correlated with seed colour. • White, flaxen and black seed exert grassy, caramel and fruity aroma, respectively. • The aroma data may be useful when choosing quinoa of varied colours for consumption. Aroma is an important feature of quinoa that influences consumer preferences. Differently coloured quinoa seeds exhibit diverse nutritional characteristics; however, their aromatic profile differences are poorly investigated. The volatile components of 11 quinoa samples were characterized by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). A total of 120 peaks were detected, with 61 compounds identified. White quinoa liberated a high concentration of volatiles with grass (n -hexanol) and green ((E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-heptenal, etc.) aromas before and after cooking, respectively. Raw flaxen samples uniquely released a caramel compound (cyclotene) and exhibited several sweet and caramel volatiles (decanal, 5-methyl-furfural, and 2-furfural) after cooking. Additionally, cooked black quinoa exerted more fruity substances (methyl hexanoate and phenylacetaldehyde). Orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis clearly distinguished the samples before and after cooking and differentiated the seeds into different colours. The results confirm the potential of HS-GC-IMS to evaluate volatiles in quinoa and are meaningful for quinoa consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the structural and physicochemical properties of quinoa starch during germination were investigated. The amylose content of Zhongli No.1 quinoa (ZQ) was 17.37%, which was almost 4–5 times greater than the other two genotypes. The surface of germinated quinoa starch granules showed more pinholes and obvious crimples than native starch. The germinated Mengli No. 1 quinoa starch (MQS) and Yunnan red quinoa starch (YQS) had a higher ratio of short chains than native starch, while the opposite result was observed in Zhongli No.1 quinoa starch (ZQS). Germination decreased the relative crystallinity of starch, but it did not change its crystalline structure type. Peak viscosity, trough viscosity, retrogradation enthalpy and the percentage of retrogradation significantly decreased during germination. In conclusion, germination significantly impacted on the structural and physicochemical properties of quinoa starch, which provides a basis for the utilization of germinated quinoa products in the food industry. Image 1 • Germination changed the contents of starch and their fine structure. • Germinated quinoa starch showed many more pinholes and obvious crimples. • Germination decreased the percentage of retrogradation and peak viscosity. • Germination increased the starch breakdown and the solubility of quinoa starch. • The physicochemical properties of starch correlate with their content and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) grain is well known as a source of nutritious human food, but the nutritional properties of quinoa as animal fodder has not been well explored. Fifteen quinoa accessions were assessed for grain and forage yields, and morphological and quality traits during anthesis and grain filling, with the aim of selecting superior genotypes for greater production and quality traits that are well adapted to northeastern China. Variations were significant among the tested genotypes for all traits. The highest grain weight was recorded in Rainbow (27.51 g plant−1), followed by the local Chinese genotypes Longli 3, YY28 and Mengli 1. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association of grain yield with branches and a negative association with culm thickness and inflorescence length, whereas more branches and moderate plant height were the main yield components affecting yield. Forage shoot weight was 37.2–81.6 g plant−1, with JQ3 and ZQ1 exhibiting the highest yields. Forage yield was strongly and positively correlated with most of the morphological traits, except plant height, and was negatively associated with chlorophyll content and the fresh/dry matter ratio. Quality traits and the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of quinoa were significantly lower than alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), oats (Avena sativa L.) or Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel, and the crude protein (CP) content was significantly higher than all three species, reaching above 20%. The saponin content of the whole plant was higher during anthesis than during grain filling. In conclusion, genotypes having more branches and shorter and more compact main inflorescences achieved higher grain yields, whereas genotypes possessing thick stems, more branches and moderate plant height produced more forage. Hence, the results indicate that superior quinoa genotypes have great potential to solve fodder shortages in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]