Comparison of the Chemical Composition of Six Canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule) Cultivars Associated with Growth Habits and after Dehulling

Abstract

The canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule) is a native Andean crop that stands out for its high content of protein, fiber, and minerals and that has a good fatty acid profile. We studied six canihuas cultivars, which were compared according to their proximate, mineral, and fatty acid composition. Based on the form of stems, termed growth habit, they belonged to two groups: decumbent (Lasta Rosada, Illimani, Kullaca, and Cañawiri) and ascending (Saigua L24 and Saigua L25). Dehulling is an important process applied to this grain. However, there is no information about how it affects the chemical composition of the canihua. Dehulling resulted in two levels, whole and dehulled canihua. The highest protein and ash contents were in whole Saigua L25 (19.6 and 5.12 g/100 g, respectively), and the highest fat content was found in dehulled Saigua L25, while the whole grains of Saigua L24 presented the highest fiber content (12.5 g/100 g). Dehulling mainly affected the macro-minerals content, while micro-minerals were only slightly linked to the dehulling. The growth habit influenced the C18:1 and C18:3 contents. In conclusion, the canihua had a nutritional composition influenced by each variety, strongly influenced by dehulling, and to a lesser extent by growth habit.

Antioxidant potential and fatty acid profile of different canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule) cultivars, raised in Bolivian Altiplano

“…Food Science and Applied Biotechnology, 2023, 6(2), 383-394 associated with elevated n-6/n-3 ratio (9.13 -10.46), exceeding the recommended values of 4.0. In their study on whole grain and dehulled canihua cultivars Mérida-López et al (2023) reported values of this ration ranging from 10.03-12.17. This indicates certain imbalance of the fatty acid profile of the canihua with regards to PUFA, however, on the other hand, the high content of C18:1n-9 compensates for this disadvantage due to the its benefits for the human health widely reviewed (Sales-Campos et al 2013;Karakor and Cam 2015).…”

“…So far, the studies on the fatty acid composition of canihua remain scarce. While Salas-Valero et al (2014), provided information on the fatty acid profile of canihua flours, a new study of Mérida-López et al (2023) presented data about the fatty acids in some canihua cultivars as a whole grain product and after dehulling. Both studies however, showed that canihua is rich in oleic (C18:1n-9) and linoleic acid (C18:2n-6).…”

Development of Extruded Snacks with Protein Hydrolysed from Jumbo Squid (Dosidicus gigas) by-Product and Cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen)

“…Canihua, (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen), is a nutritious grain from the South American Andean highlands, cultivated in Puno, Peru, between 3200 and 4200 amsl. The cañihua cultivars present higher protein content (up to 20% of Dry Mass (DM)) and lipids content (up to 10% DM), crude fiber, and mineral contents compared to common cereals such as rice, corn, barley, and pseudocereals such as amaranth or quinoa [6]. Jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas), also known as Humboldt squid, is one of the largest cephalopods and lives in the eastern Pacific Ocean.…”