Articulo
Amaranth sprouts: a potential health promoting and nutritive natural food
Autor
Aphalo, Paula
Martínez, Estela Nora
Añón, María Cristina
Institución
Resumen
Amaranth sprouts are an edible food with good nutritional qualities and potential biological activities of their proteins. The chemical composition, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity of the sprouts were determined. Sprouts showed a protein content similar to the seeds on a dry basis (16%) and a high fiber content (17%). Amaranth sprout proteins presented a capacity to inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme activity similar to other plant proteins (IC50 = 0.9 ± 0.6 mg/mL). This capacity increased after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (IC50 = 0.26 ± 0.07 mg/mL). Besides other non protein molecules, the amaranth sprout proteins also presented ABTS+. scavenging activity (TEAC = 0.32 ± 0.05 mol/mg) that increased after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (TEAC = 0.72 ± 0.08 mol/mg) and oxygen radical antioxidant capacity. According to these results amaranth sprouts are a nutritive food with potential health promoting properties. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos