Determination of antitryptic factors, lectins and saponins in new regional varieties of Amaranth

MARÍA ANGELINA UÑATES; EVELINA QUIROGA; HUGO PIOLA; ELBA AGUILAR

San Luis

Congreso; XXXII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2014

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Amaranth remains an active area of scientific research for both human nutritional needs and foraging applications. Several scientific studies suggest a somewhat conflicting picture on possible antinutritional and toxic factors in amaranth. Based on the above mentioned, the purpose of this work was to study the some antinutrients content of the seeds flour of Amaranthus cruentus var. candil (Acc), Amaranthus hypochondriacus var. dorado (Ahd), advanced lines of Amaranthus hypochondriacus x Amaranthus cruentus H17a (AH17a) and Amaranthus cruentus G6/17a (AcG6/17a). The following antinuntrients were determinated: i) saponins (foam index (WHO/PHARM/92559)); ii) hemolityc activity assay (Duarte Correa, A et al. 1986); iii) hemagglutinin or lectins assay (Do Prado, VC et al. 1980; Das Gupta, VR and Boroff, DA. 1968); and iv) antitryptic factors (Kakade, ML et al. 1974). The obtaining results were: foam index < 100; hemolityc activity = 0 during 12h; hemagglutinin assay (minimum positive concentration 1/32); antitryptic factors values ranged between 5.72 and 2.00. Such results are within the allowed values without risk to human health. According to this study, these new varieties and lines amaranth could be considered an interesting contribution to the human diet  with high nutritional quality.