Metabolic fingerprinting unveils quinoa oil as a source of bioactive phytochemicals

Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal with high phytochemical contents with proven biological and nutritional significance. In recent decades several breeding programmes have introduced new and traditional quinoa varieties to North America and other non-traditional quinoa regions, raising questions regarding variability in their secondary metabolite profiles. In this work, we have fingerprinted 28 quinoa varieties cultivated in Washington State, focussing on the poorly investigated oil fraction. We found variability in both phenolics and carotenoid contents, which is reflected in different antioxidant capacities, as measured by FRAP and DPPH. Fatty acid profiles show significant differences in palmitic acid and long-chain fatty acids. Finally, conspicuous amounts of phytosterols and squalene were found. Through factor analysis, we classified the quinoa varieties into two groups: a first comprising varieties with higher phytochemical and PUFA contents and a second group, with higher linolenic and long-chain fatty acid contents. Both groups may be suitable for potential food applications.