Chapter Eight - Bioactive Potential of Andean Fruits, Seeds, and Tubers

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Abstract

The Andes is considered the longest continental mountain range in the world. It covers 7000 km long and about 200–700 km wide and an average height of about 4000 m. Very unique plant species are endemic of this area including fruits (e.g., lucuma, cherimoya, sweet pepino, sauco), roots and tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yacón, chicuru, mashua, olluco, etc.), and seeds (quinoa, amaranth, tarwi, etc.). These crops have been used for centuries by the native population and relatively recently have gained the world attention due to the wide range of nutrients and/or phytochemicals they possess. In this chapter, main Andean fruits, seeds, and roots and tubers have been selected and detailed nutritional and functional information is provided. In addition, traditional and current uses are provided and their bioactive potential is reported based on published scientific literature.

Section snippets

Biodiversity of the Andes

The Andes is considered the longest continental mountain range in the world. It covers 7000 km long and about 200–700 km wide and an average height of about 4000 m. It extends from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. Very unique plant species are endemic of this area including fruits (e.g., lucuma, cherimoya, sweet cucumber, sauco), roots and tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yacón, chicuru, mashua, olluco,

Cherimoya

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill) is a tree cultivated prior and during the times of the Incas, dating back to 1200 BC in the inner valleys of Peru and Ecuador. It is a subtropical fruit native to the Andes, with a thick green peel and a creamy and sweet mesocarp. Its exceptional taste and flavor have helped to increase its production in tropical and subtropical regions. Main producers of cherimoya are Spain, Peru, and Chile, and small production areas exist in California, Israel, and Madeira

Seeds/Andean Grains

The most representative indigenous food grains from the Andean region in South America are quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen), amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus L.), and lupin or tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet) (Jacobsen, Mujica, & Ortiz, 2003) (Fig. 2). Although quinoa, cañihua, and amaranth are similar to cereals due to their starchy edible seeds and physical appearance, botanically they are known as pseudocereals which are dicotyledonous species

Maca

Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) is an Andean crop belonging to the Brassicaceae family. It grows between 3500 and 4500 m.a.s.l in the Central Andean Region of Perú. This area is characterized by arid and rocky soils with high solar light intensity, strong winds, and temperatures below zero degrees (Flores, Walker, Guimarães, Bsid, & Vivanco, 2003). It is a nutritionally valuable native Peruvian plant used in the Andean diet (Leon, 1964). This plant was domesticated at least 2 centuries ago in the

Conclusions

Andean fruits, seeds, and tubers represent a rich source of nutritional and functional compounds. This region is characterized by its biodiversity. Thus, very marked differences in the content and type of nutrients and bioactives are encountered in different genotypes/accessions. A lot of effort has been invested in the last decades to characterize main nutrients and bioactives and some in vitro bioactive properties in many of these Andean fruits, seeds, and tubers. However, more in vivo and

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