“Pinole” with high nutritional value obtained from cereals and legumes”

Abstract

In our country, a large part of the population, particularly in rural areas, suffers from malnutrition. An alternative to reduce the high rate of malnutrition is to improve the nutritional value of traditional foods by taking advantage of plant products that provide low-cost protein. Pinole is a traditional Mexican food, generally made from toasted corn flour, sometimes sweetened and mixed with cocoa, cinnamon or anise. Due to its main ingredient, pinoles traditionally show a deficiency in essential amino acids, which limits their protein quality. In order to obtain a high protein pinole, combinations of cereals and legumes were prepared, including corn (Zea mays L.), amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.), rice (Oriza sativa L.), naked barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), broad bean (Vicia faba L.), and lentil (Lens esculenta Moench). The most acceptable combinations were selected through sensory evaluations. A proximal chemical analysis of the toasted flours was performed, and the profile of essential amino acids, trypsin inhibitors, and in vitro digestibility of the protein was determined. The high protein pinole composition was: 35-20-40-5 (corn-amaranth-chickpea-broad bean); 35-20-40-5 and 30-20-40-10 (corn-amaranth-chickpea-lentil) stood out in important aspects such as: greater quantity, quality and digestibility of their protein, as well as greater or similar acceptability compared to corn pinole. This product is an excellent source of protein, viable for inclusion in the diet of the Mexican population and possibly in other regions of Latin America.