Amaranth leaves and seeds nutrients and bioactive compounds potential for nutrition and health

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the cultivation of pseudo-cereals like amaranth and quinoa because of their nutritional merits for healthy food markets and for their resilience toward climate vulnerability. In Ethiopia, domesticated cultivation of amaranth is limited (virtually nonexistent); the crop is neglected and regarded as ornamental plant. Amaranth leaves are used as vegetables, and its grains are used in various baked, fermented and as snack foods in human nutrition, as leafy vegetables amaranthus provide significant micronutrients (minerals and vitamins), betalains, and phenolic antioxidant compounds. The amaranthus grains as compared to cereals are relatively rich sources of proteins with high contents of essential amino acids, as well sources of starches, dietary fibers, lipids with squalene antioxidant. In this book chapter, the nutrient and bioactive compounds profile of three amaranth species (Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, and Amaranthus cruentus) are described along with the latest progress made on the processing and value addition.