Response of yield and seed quality of Chenopodium quinoa varieties

Chenopodium quinoa Willd. or 'quinoa' is a pseudocereal from South America that is becoming more and more interesting in Europe, Asia and the United States because it is a good source of different nutrients, it is rich in antioxidants compounds and it offers an alternative to normal cereals in coeliac diets because its seeds are gluten-free. Although a lot of studies focus on the advantage of consuming alternative products rich in fiber, few studies document the changes that affected food products due to the inclusion of fiber alternatives, such as inulin, a linear fructose polysaccharide with degree of polymerization (DP) variable, that also has beneficial effects on human health. Currently the inulin used is extracted exclusively from chicory roots and is characterized by a DP of about 20 units of fructose. Considerable quantities of inulin are extractable from the roots of Cynara cardunculus L., characterized by a high DP up to 100 units of fructose. Because of all that, we have focused on determining the suitability of quinoa crop for the south of Italy and evaluating of the chemical composition of quinoa seeds and of the rheological properties of the dough, also testing the dough with the addition of different types of inulin.At the CNR-ISAFoM's experimental station in Vitulazio (CE), a two-years (2011-2012) field trial, under rain-fed conditions, was carried out to compare three quinoa varieties (Jancha grano, Blanquita and Kurmi) bought by Bolivian provider of certified seeds and four varieties (Jujuy rosada, Real, Puno and Titicaca) provided by the University of Copenhagen. The comparison was made to evaluate the yield, harvest index (HI), the seed approximate composition and saponins content for defining the potential nutritional characteristics of each quinoa variety. Comparison was also made to define the formulations and appropriate technology for the production of doughs with quinoa flour pearly. Moreover, on flour obtained from two quinoa cultivars "Titicaca" and "Puno", 5% of inulin (DP <100) extracted and purified from roots of Cynara cardunculus line S3, belonging to CNR-ISAFoM, Catania core collection, compared with flours added with 5% of commercial inulin (DP<20) were analysed for the rheological parameter of obtained dough and sensory characteristics. These last studies are carried out with a view to expand the range of products made with quinoa flour with satisfactory sensory characteristics for the Italian food market. Comparing productivity among the seven quinoa varieties, Titicaca and Puno showed the better yield, being more adaptable to the environment of Southern Italy. These results suggest that both varieties could be cultivated successfully in Mediterranean climatic condition although more extensive field trials are required to develop optimal protocols for their cultivation. Chemical composition of the Titicaca seeds shows that this variety can be successfully used as a food ingredient to develop new products with interesting nutritional and organoleptic properties. Other chemical and technology analysis are still in progress.