Composition characterization and breadmaking functionality of four cañahua ecotypes from Bolivia

RAMOS, MI; STEFFOLANI, ME; LEÓN, AE; PEREZ, GT

Rosario, Argentina

Conferencia; Conferencia Internacional sobre Cereales y Productos de Cereales. Calidad e Inocuidad; 2007

International Conference on Cereal and Cereal Products

Cañahua o Kañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is an andean crop harvested in Bolivia and Perú. Cañahua was used as an alimentary plant by Andean people prior to the Spanish conquest. The seeds are toasted and ground into flour and is consumed as food or used to making soaps, bread and cakes. Cañahua grain has been identified as a very promising food crop because of its nutritive value as judged by its protein and lipid content, as well as by its essential amino acid composition with high lysine content (Gross et al., 1989, Repo-Carrasco et al., 2003). The objective was to determine the chemical composition of four Bolivian Cañahua ecotypes, analysing protein solubility percentage and starch thermal properties, and evaluate their breadmaking behaviour when was mixed with wheat flour at two substitutions levels. Ecoptypes came from Quipaquipani y Jalsuri communities of Viacha city in Bolivian central altiplano. Grains were milled in a hammer mill and whole flour was obtained from each sample. Moisture, protein, lipid, ash and fibre content were determined. Proteins were studied by sequential extraction, quantified by Kjeldahl and characterized by SDS- PAGE. Thermal characteristic of starch was measuring using a DSC. Cañahua flours were used at 10 and 20% substitution level of wheat flour for elaborate fortified breads. Specific volume, crumb texture and colour were evaluated. Cañahua ecotypes showed significant differences in all the compositional parameters studied. Ecotype 381 flour presented higher protein and lower lipid and moisture content, ecotypes 081 and 300 were very similar between them, and Local sample has the lowest protein and the highest lipid, moisture and ash contents. Sequential extraction demonstrated that 381 had more NaCl soluble and residual insoluble proteins probably due to their higher total protein content. The electrophoretic patterns of proteins did not show differences between the ecotypes, except in prolamins fraction that presented differences in Local ecotype. Thermal analysis of starch obtained from the four ecotypes showed differences, a significant increase in onset temperature and a decrease of gelatinisation enthalpy in 381 ecotype starches were observed. Degree of starch retrogradation was lower for Local and 381 ecotypes. Bread made with 10 and 20% of Local ecotype flour did not show significant difference in specific volume compared with control wheat bread and presented lower initial hardness value than the other blends. However during the storage period the hardening rate was similar between all ecotypes. The differences obtained from composition data, protein solubility and gelatinization-retrogradation starch behaviour, of the ecotypes 381 and Local were expressed when were mixed with wheat flour, showing different bread quality, so each ecotype could be used in the elaboration of different baking products according to their physic-chemical characteristics. References Gross, R.; Koch, F.; Malaga, I; Miranda, F.A.; Schoeneberg, H.; Trugo, L.C. 1989. Chemical composition and protein quality of some local Andean food sources. Food Chem. 34, 25-34. Repo-Carrasco, R.; Espinoza, C.; Jacobsen, S.E. 2003. Nutritional Value and Use of the Andean Crops Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and Kañiwa (Chenopodium pallidicaule). Food Rev. Int. 19, 179-189.