Nutrimental Content and Functional Properties of Quinoa Flour from Chile and Mexico

Knowledge related to the genetic improvement of quinoa has been increasing in recent years, demonstrating an effective advance in obtaining morphological characteristics meant to achieve uniformity in the quantity and quality of the production obtained in the field. For this research, quinoa flour harvested in Mexico and Chile, the latter of which was genetically modified, was obtained and characterized. Next, the determination of moisture, fats, fiber, carbohydrates, acidity, ash, proteins, polyphenols, and flavonoids was performed. Functional properties were also evaluated, and a microbiological count was made. No differences were observed in the odor and color of the flours, nor was there a change in moisture during 6 months of storage. The initial percentages of acidity, fats, proteins and ashes were higher in Chilean flour (2.25, 10.99, 10.69 and 3.54%, respectively), while flour from Mexico presented 1.75, 7.64, 8.4 and 3.17%, respectively. Regarding raw fiber and carbohydrates, the results obtained were lower for Chilean flour (2.78 and 59.78%, respectively), while Mexican flour showed 4.08 and 66.67%, respectively. The content of flavonoids and polyphenols in Chilean flour were higher than those of Mexico. The results obtained reveal that the nutritional content of Chilean quinoa flour was better than that of Mexico. The growth of molds and yeasts was observed in the 6th month for the Mexican flour; however, the values did not exceed the limits of the OMN (Official Mexican Norm) 247.