Vol. 11, Special Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
R Jagadeeswaran, PP Mahendran and M Umadevi

Abstract:
Pseudocereals are multi-purpose crops cultivated for their high nutritional quality as a food and animal feed. In botanical terms, amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat are not true cereals, they are dicotyledonous plants as opposed to most cereals (e.g. wheat, rice, barley) which are monocotyledonous. They are referred to as pseudocereals, as their seeds resemble in function and composition those of the true cereals. Among the pseudocereals, amaranth have been cultivated for their grains and grown for their edible seeds rich in starch. Countries that grow grain amaranth in significant quantities include Mexico, Russia, China, India, Nepal, Argentina, Peru and Kenya. It grows very rapidly, especially under conditions of high temperatures, water scare conditions. In India, Amaranth is cultivated in the hilly regions as well as in the plains, covering the entire Himalayan region, Southern India and in some parts of a Western and Northern India. Amaranth grain is reported to have high levels of lysine, a nutritionally critical amino acid ranging from 0.73 to 0.84% of the total protein content and the grain is high in fiber and low in saturated fats. In irrigated areas, amaranth provides an alternative for farmers as it consumes less water and reduce the potential for sod salinization. Quinoa is a stress-tolerant plant, cultivated along the Andes, from about 3000 B.C and is still cultivated in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina. Its grains have a high-protein content with abundance of essential amino acids, and a wide range of vitamins, minerals and saponin and it is a promising worldwide plant for human consumption and nutrition.