The nutritional quality of an infant food from quinoa and its effect on the plasma level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in undernourished children

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2002 Mar;53(2):143-54. doi: 10.1080/09637480220132157.

Abstract

An infant food product was manufactured by drum drying a pre-cooked slurry of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd) flour. The chemical composition shows that the product is a potential source of valuable nutrients, like protein (16%), vitamin E (19 mg/kg), thiamine (0.7 mg/100 g), iron (70 mg/kg), zinc (48 mg/kg) and magnesium (1.8 g/kg), all the values expressed on dry basis, to pre-school children (of 5 years of age). The animal feeding experiments with rats showed a net protein utilisation (NPU) of 68, digestibility (TD) 95 and biological value (BV) 71. The level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the plasma of the children who consumed a supplementary portion of 2 x 100 g of the above infant food product showed an increase after a period of 15 days, while the plasma level of IGF-1 in the children of the control group as well as the reference group did not show any significant increase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / analysis
  • Animals
  • Anthropometry
  • Chenopodium quinoa / chemistry*
  • Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Fatty Acids / analysis
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Food / analysis*
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Micronutrients / analysis
  • Nutrition Disorders / blood
  • Nutrition Disorders / diet therapy*
  • Nutritive Value
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Fatty Acids
  • Micronutrients
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I