Effect of pearling on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) flour

Abstract This work aimed to evaluate the effect of pearling on the physicochemical properties, bioactive compound contents, and antioxidant capacity of quinoa flour. Three different varieties of whole quinoa flour and corresponding pearled flour were tested. Compared with pearled flour, whole flour had a higher water solubility index, swelling power, and water and oil absorption capacity; lower pasting temperature; and higher setback. The phenolic, flavonol, and saponin contents of quinoa flour were significantly decreased after pearling treatment. Moreover, liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to identify and quantify the phenolic composition. Most of the phenolic compounds were higher in whole flour than in pearled flour. The antioxidant capacity of quinoa flour was reduced after pearling. The high correlations were also found between the bioactive compound contents and properties of quinoa flour.