An update on the nutritional profiles of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), and chia (Salvia hispanica L.), three key species with the potential to contribute to food security worldwide

Abstract

One of the major challenges facing the world nowadays is to ensure enough access to healthy food for a growing population. Under this food scenario, it should be noted that increasing food production is as important as improving its nutritional quality. Thus, different agronomy research and innovation programs have pursued food security through the increase in the quantity and nutritional quality of plant‐based foods. One key aspect in this respect is to increase agrobiodiversity by expanding the cultivation of underutilized highly nutritious crops such as chia, quinoa, or amaranth. The outstanding nutritional value of these crops resides in the compositional characteristics of their seeds, which include the presence of significant levels (and a good balance) of proteins, essential amino acids, lipids, and other components such as phenols, minerals, fiber, or vitamins, all contributing to support nutritious diets that also has health benefits such as the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. All of them, chia, amaranth, and quinoa, are considered emerging crops outside their center of origin (which is mainly located in South America), and their cultivation has been expanded worldwide in the last decade. This review mainly highlights recent knowledge about the nutritional characteristics of these three Latin American crops, with the aim of providing an updated information regarding the compositional profiles of their seeds.

Endophytic Fungi from the Four Staple Crops and Their Secondary Metabolites

“…There are more than 50,000 edible plant species on the planet, but only a few hundred contribute meaningfully to our diet [ 1 ]. In fact, just 15 crops provide 90 percent of the global energy intake and “the big four”—wheat, rice, maize and potato—are staples for about 5 billion people [ 2 , 3 ].…”

Plant reproduction research in Latin America: Toward sustainable agriculture in a changing environment

“…Others are less well known but still important in terms of food security and cultural identity for local communities. These crops include amaranth (Olmos et al., 2022), quinoa (Isobe et al., 2018), and cassava (Bolaños‐Villegas & Argüello‐Miranda, 2019).…”

“…identity for local communities. These crops include amaranth (Olmos et al, 2022), quinoa (Isobe et al, 2018), and cassava (Bolaños-Villegas & Argüello-Miranda, 2019).…”

Nutritional and Functional New Perspectives and Potential Health Benefits of Quinoa and Chia Seeds

“…Using processed and ready-to-eat foods such as maize extrudates by incorporating chia and quinoa seeds can help utilize novel ingredients for good organoleptic properties and health benefits [8][9][10]. Therefore, quinoa and chia are two such traditional and ancient crops that are considered to be superfoods as they possess various nutritional benefits such as Antioxidants 2023, 12, 1413 2 of 23 antioxidant activity, antidiabetic, anticancer, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, antithrombotic peptides, and functional food additives due to the bioactive compounds present in them [11][12][13][14][15][16]. With the recent pandemics and the continuous onslaught of outbreaks, the focus is shifted toward coordinating global efforts on high-risk public health issues through various therapeutic strategies, including natural products [17][18][19][20][21][22].…”