Comparison of the Chemical Composition of Six Canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule) Cultivars Associated with Growth Habits and after Dehulling

Abstract

The canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule) is a native Andean crop that stands out for its high content of protein, fiber, and minerals and that has a good fatty acid profile. We studied six canihuas cultivars, which were compared according to their proximate, mineral, and fatty acid composition. Based on the form of stems, termed growth habit, they belonged to two groups: decumbent (Lasta Rosada, Illimani, Kullaca, and Cañawiri) and ascending (Saigua L24 and Saigua L25). Dehulling is an important process applied to this grain. However, there is no information about how it affects the chemical composition of the canihua. Dehulling resulted in two levels, whole and dehulled canihua. The highest protein and ash contents were in whole Saigua L25 (19.6 and 5.12 g/100 g, respectively), and the highest fat content was found in dehulled Saigua L25, while the whole grains of Saigua L24 presented the highest fiber content (12.5 g/100 g). Dehulling mainly affected the macro-minerals content, while micro-minerals were only slightly linked to the dehulling. The growth habit influenced the C18:1 and C18:3 contents. In conclusion, the canihua had a nutritional composition influenced by each variety, strongly influenced by dehulling, and to a lesser extent by growth habit.