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Chia was one of the four basic foods of Central American civilizations in pre-Columbian times. Nowadays, this crop is being reintroduced to Western diets to improve human health because it is an important source of n-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals, and when added to animal diets it elicits a reduction in the SFA contents of the animal products and serum lipids (1,2). The protein quality of chia has been demonstrated to be higher than that of common cereals, which could be important in thymus development since previous studies have shown that protein quality affects thymus status (3,4). However, adverse reaction to food is frequently observed among populations, and its symptoms may be localized in many organs and systems (5). The aim of the present study was to analyse the effect of chia on some aspects of immune system such as the thymus and serum IgE concentration. Weanling male Wistar rats (23 d of age) from the Department of Nutrition at the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the University of Buenos Aires, were divided in three groups (six rats each) that received for 1 month (g/kg diet): 150 ground chia seed (T1); 50 chia oil (T2); no chia (T3; control group). Diets T1 and T2 were formulated to provide equal quantities of a-linolenic acid from the chia. All the experimental diets were isoenergetic, contained (g/kg) 200 protein and 70 oil, and were prepared according to the American Institute of Nutrition guidelines (6). Food intake was recorded (FI; g/d). At the end of the experimental period and after 4 h of fasting body weight (BW; g) was recorded. Animals were anaesthetized in a CO 2 chamber and blood was recollected by venous puncture and used to determined serum IgE levels (ng/ml) by ELISA (Bethyl Labs, Montgomery, TX, USA). Thymuses were removed, weighed (TW; mg/P 0.75) and total thymocyte number (TN; no. of cells per organ) was determined using a Newbauer chamber. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA t test.

Background and objectives The relative influences of genetic and environmental factors on seed composition traits as well as the interrelations among these attributes and seed yield are largely unknown in quinoa. These aspects are approached here through experiments conducted at a low elevation temperate environment with four quinoa genotypes sown at three dates and the hypothesis that variation in seed composition traits can be explained by the relative embryo size was tested. Findings There was an important range of variation for almost all seed composition traits, and the genotype‐by‐sowing date (G × S) interaction effect was significant for yield and its components plus protein and oil concentrations. Variation in fat and protein concentration was associated with embryo and seed size but not with relative embryo size (trait indifferent to environmental and genetic factors). A winter sowing date induced positive associations between fat and carbohydrate concentrations, seed, and embryo weight, but negative associations among almost all of these traits and seed yield and protein content. On the other hand, a mid‐spring sowing date induced positive associations between seed yield and protein content. Conclusions Winter sowing dates are suited for obtaining heavier seeds associated with higher fat and carbohydrates concentrations under the explored conditions; whereas under mid‐spring sowings higher seed yield, associated with high protein content but at the expense of smaller seeds are achieved. Significance and novelty Variability in the main seed composition traits in sea level quinoa cultivars was explained mostly by G × S interaction. The choice of genotypes and sowing dates that modify the trade‐offs between the main yield and seed composition traits might contribute to obtain a specific quality and higher yields. Variation in protein and fat concentrations was no associated with the relative embryo size.

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