Protein and amino acid composition of different quinoa (chenopodium quinoa willd) cultivars grown under field conditions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) remains a public health concern in most developing
nations. In Africa, PEM can be attributed to monotonous diets based on cereals, roots,
and tubers, with little or no protein of animal origin. Diversifying cropping systems to
include protein dense pseudo-cereals such as Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) could
help provide more protein in the diet of vulnerable populations. Quinoa is a crop with
potential for biodiversification because it has a high nutritional value; however, it is
underutilized in Africa, and information about the nutritional quality of the grain grown
in contrasting environments is limited. Within the framework of FAO’s commemoration
of 2013 as the ‘The International Year of the Quinoa’ (IYQ), a Technical Cooperation
Programme (TCP) project was developed with some African countries to assess the
capacity of quinoa to adapt to different agro-ecological regions and the nutritional quality
of the resulting grain. For this study, we evaluated the protein content and amino acid
profile of three genotypes of quinoa that had been grown under diverse altitudes, soil,
and climate conditions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. The mean protein
content (g/100g) of Kancolla, Titicaca and BBR varieties grown in Africa ranged from
14.33 ±0.20 to 17.61 ±0.55, 14.23 ±0.25 to 16.65 ±0.55, and 13.13 ±0.2 to 16.23 ±0.49,
respectively. On the other hand, the protein content (g/100g) of Kancolla, Titicaca, and
BBR seeds grown in Peru was 13.80 ±0.10, 17.43 ±0.31, and 17.07 ±0.11, respectively.
The Kancolla variety [grown in Ethiopia and Kenya] had a significantly higher protein
content than that obtained from Peru [P < 0.001]. Regarding the profile of essential
amino acids, Quinoa is essentially richer in methionine than most cereals. Levels of
methionine were lower in the seeds grown in Africa compared to those from Peru [P <
0.001]. In terms of environmental influences, the protein content was relatively higher in
quinoa seeds grown in high-altitude areas, where soils have a low pH and high nitrogen
content. We conclude that Quinoa can be introduced to Africa, especially to high
altitudes and warm regions where the soil has a low pH and high nitrogen content. The
crop would be ideal for diversifying local diets.