Abstract
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a versatile pseudocereal renowned for its exceptional nutritional profile and gluten-free properties. In this study, an in-depth exploration was carried out to investigate antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anticholinesterase activities of 14 quinoa genotypes. Precise quantification of specific secondary metabolites was conducted using LC-MS/MS. Additionally, a detailed analysis of fatty oil chemical composition was performed employing GC-MS/MS. The study uncovered linoleic acid as dominant compound, comprising a substantial portion of fatty oil content, ranging from 46.60–56.33%. Alanine exhibited the highest concentration, ranging from 192.4887 to 1578.0355 nmol/mL in all active extracts. French Vanilla hexane extract displayed outstanding α-glucosidase inhibition activity (75.71%) surpassing effectiveness of acarbose (74.01%). Santa Ana hexane extract stood out with superior α-amylase inhibition activity (28.58%). The exploration into therapeutic potential against Alzheimer's disease showcased promising outcomes, with Titicaca hexane extract exhibiting commendable activity against acetylcholinesterase (22.22%) and Moqu Arochilla methanol extract proving effective against butyrylcholinesterase (47.20%). Salcedo and French Vanilla extracts demonstrated exceptional DPPH radical scavenging activity. Positive correlation was determined between total phenolic content, DPPH (r = 0.381), β-carotene (r = 0,417) and FRAP (r = 0.893) activities. These findings underscore functional significance of quinoa, not only as a gluten-free dietary choice but also as a potential functional food that could play a pivotal role in managing diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease.