Author(s):

Nidhi Joshi and Kuldip Chandra Verma

Abstract: From the past 20 years, little progress has been achieved in reducing child malnutrition food insecurity and hunger. To address these problems, increased consumption of leafy vegetables is promoted as sources of both bio-active compounds and micronutrients. Amranthus is one of the crop, which has been rediscovered as a promising food crop in form of leaf and seed, mainly due to its resistance to drought, heat, diseases and pests, and the high nutritional value of both seeds and leaves. The seeds are small and lent cellular or oval in shape. The grain is high in fibre and low in saturated fats, factors which contribute to its use by the health food market. The oils obtained from amaranth are important because they contain oleic, linoleic and linolenic fatty acids. The lipid fraction of amaranth also contains compounds with antioxidant potentials, such as tocopherols, which act as scavengers of lipid peroxyl radicals. It also contains several classes of flavonoids and anthocyanins, as well as other phenolic constituents. It is high in protein content which contains essential amino acids that are good for human nutrition. It contains a high level of lysine and sulphur-containing amino acids like cysteine. Amaranth has become popular among patients with celiac disease because it does not cause allergic reactions in the intestinal mucosa. Quantification of bio-active compounds of Amaranthus seed oils like squalene, β-sitosterol and α-tocopherol will help enhance its use for human consumption as a nutraceutical. Leaves and succulent stem are good sources of iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C.In view of the enormous nutritional benefits of the crop, there is a definite need for its genetic improvement to develop high yielding varieties with high content of desired quality traits.

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