Assessment of biochemical diversity, oil content, and SDS-PAGE in different varieties and ecotypes of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.

3 Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.

10.22126/cbb.2025.10999.1079

Abstract

Introduction: Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa willd.) is widely recognized as a nutrient-rich crop with exceptional nutritional value. Given its importance, it is crucial to assess the phytochemical diversity and oil content among different cultivars and genotypes to enhance our understanding of its nutritional and health-related properties.
Materials and methods: A completely randomised design (CRD) experiment was conducted on commercial cultivars (Atlas, Giza1, Red Carina) and various quinoa ecotypes (Q4, Q29, Q2, Q12, Q3, Q1) with three replications at Razi University during the 2023-2024 growing season. The evaluated traits included oil percentage, total soluble sugar content, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and SDS-PAGE analysis.
Results: The analysis of variance for quinoa genotypes regarding the studied traits revealed a highly significant difference (at the 1% probability level) among different quinoa cultivars and ecotypes. Additionally, mean comparison results showed that ecotype Q4 had the highest total soluble sugar content (404.773 mg/L) and total flavonoid content (0.825 µg/L). Heatmap analysis categorized the cultivars and ecotypes into two distinct groups. The first group (Q1, Giza1, Red Carina, Q12) had the lowest values, while the second group (Q4, Q29, Atlas, Q2) exhibited the highest values for total soluble sugar, total phenol, and total flavonoid content. Correlation analysis showed a strong and highly significant positive correlation between total soluble sugar content and total phenol content (0.60**) as well as between total phenol content and total flavonoid content (0.60**).
Conclusion: Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the first two components accounted for 79.3% of the observed variations, suggesting that these two components explain a significant portion of the diversity among quinoa cultivars and ecotypes. This analysis highlighted the significant importance of total soluble sugar, total phenol, and total flavonoid content in this study. SDS-PAGE analysis of seed storage proteins revealed seven distinct protein bands within a molecular weight range of 20 to 70 kDa across the six ecotypes and three commercial cultivars. A single protein band with an approximate molecular weight of 40 kDa, constituting about 11% of the total bands, could serve as a stable genetic marker for quinoa.

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References

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