Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

The super grain quinoa has high protein content with a balanced amino acid profile, as well as high fiber content, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Studies suggest that it can help diabetic people in managing their blood glucose levels and may prevent other diseases. The goal of the current study was to examine the physical, functional, and nutritional quality of quinoa and to elucidate how quinoa-incorporated biscuits affected blood sugar levels. The physical properties of quinoa grains showed that thousand kernel weight, thousand kernel volume and hydration capacity were 2.433g, 2.46 ml and 0.012 g, respectively. Pericarp color of quinoa grain was pale yellow and bulk density of quinoa grains was 0.750 g/cc. The functional properties of quinoa flour revealed that water absorption capacity, fat absorption capacity, emulsifying capacity and emulsion stability were 136 %, 43 %, 76 % and 40%, respectively. According to the proximate composition of quinoa flour, its moisture, total ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, carbohydrate and physiological energy values were 10.28%, 2.19%, 13.52%, 5.25%, 3.44%, and was 362 kcal/100g. Biscuits incorporating quinoa were found to contain 4.75% of moisture, 2.33% of total ash, 8.51% of crude protein, 3.12% of crude fat, and 21.3% of crude fiber, 59.9% of carbohydrate and 465 kcal/100g of physiological energy. The corresponding values for control biscuits made with refined wheat flour were 4.32%, 1.24%, 5.86%, 22.1%, 1.2%, 65.28%, and 482 kcal/100g respectively. Using refined wheat flour, the glycemic index of the biscuits was 61.7, whereas using quinoa, it was 46.1. Low glycemic index of formulated biscuits indicates its suitability in prevention and control of diabetes.