Quinoa greens as a novel plant food: a review of its nutritional composition, functional activities, and food applications

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is widely regarded as a versatile pseudo-cereal native to the Andes Mountains in South America. It has gained global recognition as a superfood due to its rich nutritional profile. While quinoa grains are well-known, there is an undiscovered potential in quinoa greens, such as sprouts, leaves, and microgreens. These verdant parts of quinoa are rich in a diverse array of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds, including proteins, amino acids, bioactive proteins, peptides, polyphenols, and flavonoids. They have powerful antioxidant properties, combat cancer, and help prevent diabetes. Quinoa greens offer comparable or even superior benefits when compared to other sprouts and leafy greens, yet they have not gained widespread recognition. Limited research exists on the nutritional composition and biological activities of quinoa greens, underscoring the necessity for thorough systematic reviews in this field. This review paper aims to highlight the nutritional value, bioactivity, and health potential of quinoa greens, as well as explore their possibilities within the food sector. The goal is to generate interest within the research community and promote further exploration and wider utilization of quinoa greens in diets. This focus may lead to new opportunities for enhancing health and well-being through innovative dietary approaches.

Keywords:

• Quinoa greens
• nutrients
• functional factors
• health benefits
• food applications

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Project of Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Grant/Award Number: 2023MS273; Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province, Grant/Award Number: 2024NSFSC0329; Innovative Training Program for College Students, Grant/Award Number: S202311079112/CDUCX2023286; The Central Government Guides Local Science and Technology Development Fund of Department of Science and Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Grant/Award Number: 2022ZY0138; Medical Research Project of Chengdu, Grant/Award Number: 2021052. The integration of specialty and creativity demonstration course of Chengdu university, Grant/Award Number: cxcyzc2022021; Undergraduate education and teaching reform project of Chengdu University, Grant/Award Number: cdjgb2022187; The open Project Program of State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization, Grant/Award Number: SKL-KF202302.