Abstract

ARELLANO, Mirta AL; ALBARRACIN, Graciela; ARCE, Silvia  and  MUCCIARELLI, Sara. Estudio comparativo de hojas de Beta vulgaris con Amaranthus dubius Mart ex Thell: (con 3 Tablas). Phyton (B. Aires) [online]. 2004, vol.73, pp.193-197. ISSN 1851-5657.

This study compares the vegetative parts of amaranth (Amaranthus dubius, Martius ex Thellung), (Ad) and chard (Beta vulgaris, var. cicla), (Bv) common vegetable, widely used in culinary specialties; in order to propose the consumption of Amaranthus dubius as vegetable, because of its good growth in low quality soils. Amaranth is a C4 dicotyledonous plant that resists hydric stress and has a rapid growth. Due to these characteristics amaranth has been identified as a potential new crop. We evaluated: water content, protein content, total dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble), some antinutrient properties like hemaglutinin, antitriptic activity and hemolytic activity and antinutrients like tannins and oxalic acid. We used AOAC methods for percent chemical evaluation. To test antinutrients we applied chemical, enzymatic and immunologic methods. Protein quality was determined using biological methods, we determined: net protein use (NPU), true digestibility (tD) and biological value (Bv). Regarding nutritional values we obtained the following results: NPU 55 ± 3.8 for Amaranthus dubius and 56 ± 4.2 for chard; tD for A. dubius 66 ± 4.95 and 76 ± 8.2 for chard; Bv in A. dubius 83 and 74 in chard. From these results it is possible to infer a nutritional utilization of A. Dubius and therefore we promote the cultivation of amaranth as a potential source of food.

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