Sukhcharn Singh
SLIET, India
Title: Nutrition and functional potential of underutilized Chenopodium album and its Applications
Biography
Biography: Sukhcharn Singh
Abstract
Plant foods have been and continue to be ingested due to perceived medicinal and health-benefiting characteristics. Currently attention is being drawn towards exploring plant sources for substances that provide nutritional and pharmaceutical advantages to humans. Chenopodium album is an important vegetable and grain crop that is widely distributed as well as grown in the Himalayan region. It is a good source of minerals such as (Fe, Zn, Mn & Cu) vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin C & β-carotene), high quality protein containing 17 kinds of amino acids including 7 essential amino acids for the human body, carbohydrates, the total lipid, crude lipids and natural antioxidants. The fat content of its seeds is 7% including palmitate, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, but linoleic acid and linolenic acid are the essential fatty acid for the human body, especially linoleic acid content attains 53.86%. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, apo-carotenoids, flavonoids, phyto-ecdysteroids and an unusual xyloside in the plant. Various bioactivities such as antifungal, antipruritic, antinociceptive and hypotensive properties of crude and isolated compounds from the plant justified its uses in traditional medicine. A number of gluten free products can be developing by using the Chenopodium grains.