Quinoa saponins

Nowadays saponins have been studied because different beneficial properties to health have been described. Saponins possess a broad variety of biological effects analgesic, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, and cytotoxic activity, effect on the absorption of minerals and vitamins and on animal growth, hemolytic and immunosti-mulatory effects, increased permeability of the intestinal mucosa neuro-protective action, and reduction of fat absorption (Gu lii-Ustundag and Mazza, 2007). However, the biological properties of quinoa saponins require further study. 

Vaquez, M. J., Quinoa, E., Riguera, R., San-Martin, A., and Darias, J., Santiagoside, the first astero-saponin from an Antarctic starfish (Neosmilaster georgianus), Tetrahedron, 48, 6739, 1992. 

In vitro digestibility (a-amylase) of raw quinoa starch was reported at 22%, while that of autoclaved, cooked, and drum-dried samples was 32%, 45%, and 73%, respectively (Ruales and Nair, 1994a). Saponins did not affect the digestibility of the starch. The total dietary fiber content in quinoa flour is affected by thermal treatment, while the insoluble dietary fiber fraction does not change with heat treatment (Ruales and Nair, 1994b). 

Chauhan, G., Eskin, N., and Mills, P. (1999). Effect of saponin extraction on the nutritional quality of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) proteins.. Food Sci. Technol. 2,123-126. 

Gee, J., Wortley, G., Johnson, I., Price, K., Rutten, A., Houben, G., and Penninks, A. (1996). Effect of saponins and glycoalkaloids on the permeability and viability of mammalian intestinal cells and on the integrity of tissue preparations in vitro. Toxic. In Vitro 10,117-128. Gonzalez, J., Roldan, A., Gallardo, T., and Prado, F. (1989). Quantitative determinations of chemical compounds with nutritional value from INCA crop Chenopodium quinoa. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 39, 331-337. 

Kuljanabhagavad, T., Thongphasuk, P., Chamulitrat, W., and Wink, M. (2008). Triterpene saponins from Chenopodium quinoa Willd. Phytochemistry 69,1919-1926. 

Woldemichael, G. and Wink, M. (2001). Identification and biological activities of triterpenoid saponins from Chenopodium quinoa. J. Agric. Food Chem. 49, 2327-2332. 

In recent years, there has been interest in quinoa (Chenopodium quinod) as an alternative food crop, in part because of its ability to grow in marginal conditions. Although widely used by the Incas, quinoa requires extensive post-harvest preparation in order to remove undesirable taste characteristics. Some of these characteristics have been removed by the development of sweet quinoa, which has significantly decreased levels of saponins and, thus, a decreased need for extensive post-harvest preparation. It seems likely that saponins will contribute to the undesirable taste characteristics of soyfood products, and reducing the saponin content of soybeans will result in better flavored food products derived from soybean. We show a method in which soybeans can be modified to produce reduced levels of both A saponin and DDMP-saponins when compared to wild-type soybeans. 

GEE, J.M., PRICE, K.R., RIDOUT, C.L., WORTLEY, G.M., HURRELL, R.F., JOHNSON, I.T., Saponins of quinoa Chenopodium quinoa) Effects of processing on their abundance in quinoa products and their biological effects on intestinal mucosal tissue,/. Sci. Food Agric., 1993,63,201-209. 

A pseudocereal of the Andes of South America, Cheno-podium quinoa, owes its bitter taste to the presence of triterpenoid saponins. These must be removed before the seeds are eaten. A number of the most important saponins have been characterized (Bumouf-Radosevich et al, 1985). 

Adjuvant activity has also been observed with saponins from Gypsophila and Saponaria (Caryophyllaceae) whereas it was absent with other saponin containing extracts prepared from Soya Alfalfa Chenopodium quinoa and Glycyrrhiza radix [15]. Since the strongest adjuvant activity was observed with saponins from Quillaja saponaria we will describe the activities associated with saponins from this species. 

Gutierrez, M., Capson, T., Guzman, H.M., Quinoa, E and Riguera, R. (2004) L-Galactose as a natural product isolation from a marine octocoral of the first a-L-galactosyl saponin. Tetrahedron Lett., 45, 7833-7836. 

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