Amaranth, quinoa and chia protein isolates: Physicochemical and structural properties

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Plant-based Proteins

Background:

• Growing demand for protein-rich foods necessitates alternatives to animal proteins.
• Amaranth, chia, and quinoa seeds possess well-balanced amino acid profiles, offering significant nutritional value.
• These seeds are sources of valuable vegetable proteins with beneficial biological and functional properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze vegetable proteins from amaranth, chia, and quinoa.
• To focus on recent research concerning protein classification, isolation, and structural characterization.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of these proteins' properties and characterization methods.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of protein classification and isolation techniques.
• Structural characterization using fluorescence spectroscopy.
• Assessment of surface hydrophobicity and differential scanning calorimetry.

Main Results:

• Isolation procedures critically impact the structural characteristics of amaranth, chia, and quinoa proteins.
• Protein structure directly influences their in vitro digestibility.
• These vegetable proteins exhibit promising nutritional and functional attributes.

Conclusions:

• Amaranth, chia, and quinoa proteins are valuable plant-based protein sources.
• Understanding protein structure and isolation is key to optimizing their use in food applications.
• These proteins represent a sustainable alternative to animal proteins in the human diet.