The genus chenopodium: A potential food source

Abstract

The genus Chenopodium comprises important cultivated species such as quinua (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), Chía roja, Huauzontle (Chenopodium berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae) and Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule). These species had a relevant role in the development of pre-hispanic cultures from Meso and South America as source of food and in the religious context. Due to its high nutritive value (up to 19 % proteins) and to its tolerance to adverse factors such as drought, saline soils and frost, these species are considered as alternative crops for areas with extreme conditions, where also malnutrition prevails. The cytogenetic characterization by karyotyping and determination of DNA content by flow cytometry of seven cultivars of Chenopodium are reported. Chenopodium quinoa cultivar Barandales and C. berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae cultigens Huauzontle, Quelite and Chia roja showed 2n = 4x = 36, x = 9. Statistically insignificant genome size differences for studied varieties ranged from 2.96 pg/2C (1 Cx = 724 Mbp) in C. quinoa to 3.04 pg/2C (1 Cx = 743 Mbp) in Huauzontle. Also, in this chapter the molecular characterization by SSR of 38 accessions of cultigen Huauzontle, the study of the traditional growing system of cultigen Chía roja, the nutritional value of both cultigens and the floral development of quinua and Chía roja are described. Results of a mutation breeding program leading to a reduction in saponin content are also presented.