Research Progress in Nutritional Components, Biological Activity, and Processing and Utilization of Chenopodium quinoa Willd

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal with rich nutritional and functional active components, including starch, proteins, lipids, polyphenol compounds, and steroids, and is gluten-free, which can prevent or promote a variety of chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, cancer, and hypertension, making it a high-quality source of raw materials/ingredients for the development of functional foods. The paper reviews the literature on the nutritional components, biological activity, and intensive processing of quinoa in the last five years, focusing on the functional activity of quinoa foods, the application of quinoa in the food field, and the importance of quinoa for food processing, production, and storage. The review aims to summarize the current development of quinoa in the last five years and analyze the future development direction of quinoa food.