Cereal Chem 67:519-522   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Effect of Germination on the Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Amaranth Grain.

A. S. Colmenares de Ruiz and R. Bressani. Copyright 1990 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Changes in chemical composition and in nutritive value during germination of amaranth grain were studied. One variety each of Amaranthus kypochondriacus, A. cruentus, and A. caudatus was germinated for 0, 24, 48, and 72 hr. The sprouts were dried with air at 40 C for 18 hr and ground for proximate chemical analyses, total and reducing sugars, damaged starch, thiamin, and riboflavin. Only A. cruentus was analyzed for raffinose, stacchyose, ascorbic acid, phytic acid, niacin, and biotin. A. caudatus and A. cruentus were further subjected to protein fractionation at all stages of germination. These samples were also assayed raw and cooked for protein quality. No changes on a dry weight basis were observed in protein, crude fiber, and ash content, whereas lipid and phytic acid content decreased with respect to germination time. Reducing sugars, total sugars, and damaged starch increased with respect to germination time, whereas raffinose and stacchyose were not detected after 48 and 24 hr, respectively. All vitamins increased with respect to germination time, particularly riboflavin and ascorbic acid. There was an increase in albumins and a decrease in globulins with little change in glutelins. The alcohol-soluble proteins increased slightly. Germination did not change protein quality of raw grain, but cooking of germinated grain did.