Composition and Protein Nutritional Quality of Quinoa.

Abstract

Dehulled quinoa flour (Colorado D407) contained over 58% starch, 15.6% protein (N X 6.25), 2.7% sugars, 8.9% total dietary fiber, and nearly 7% lipids and ash. The proportion of soluble fiber was only 13.5% of total dietary fiber. Quinoa was rich in several micronutrients, especially potassium, iron, calcium, and riboflavin. The lysine level in quinoa protein (6.3%) was comparable to that of soybean and was typical of dicotyledonous seed protein in being deficient in methionine. Based on animal studies (protein efficiency ratio, protein digestibility, and nitrogen balance), the quality of protein in quinoa matched that of the milk protein casein.