Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Seeds Increase Intestinal Protein Uptake

Ballegaard, Anne‐Sofie Ravn; Larsen, Jeppe Madura; Rasmussen, Peter Have; Untersmayr, Eva; Pilegaard, Kirsten; Bøgh, Katrine Lindholm

doi:10.1002/mnfr.202100102

Cited by 13Seed and Plant BiochemistryGastrointestinal motility and disordersMicrobial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Seeds Increase Intestinal Protein Uptake

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Ballegaard, Anne‐Sofie Ravn, Larsen, Jeppe Madura, Rasmussen, Peter Have, Untersmayr, Eva, Pilegaard, Kirsten, Bøgh, Katrine Lindholm·2021·Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

DOI 10.1002/mnfr.202100102

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Abstract

SCOPE: Within the last decade, quinoa seeds have gained much popularity as a new food and have recently been proposed as an appropriate food for early introduction in infants. Quinoa contains high levels of saponins, which are known for their adjuvant activity and effect on the intestinal barrier function. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of quinoa on intestinal permeability and inflammation in comparison with the positive controls; cholera toxin (CT), and capsaicin. METHODS AND RESULTS: The effect of quinoa on intestinal barrier function and inflammation is investigated in vitro using a Caco-2 cell line and in vivo using a Brown Norway rat model. Effects in vivo are analyzed by protein uptake, histology, gene expression, antibody levels, and flow cytometry. Quinoa and the positive controls all increased the intestinal permeability, but distinct patterns of absorbed protein are observed in the epithelium, Peyer's patches, lamina propria, and serum. The quinoa-mediated effect on intestinal barrier function is found to be distinct from the effect of the two positive controls. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate the ability of quinoa to increase intestinal permeability and to promote compartment-specific protein uptake via mechanisms that may differ from CT and capsaicin.

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Quinoa extracts showed anti-obesity, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, immunoregulatory, and collagenase-modulating effects in in vivo experiments with rats.
“Quinoa extracts showed anti-obesity, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, immunoregulatory, and collagenase-modulating effects in in vivo experiments with rats [208,209,210,211,212,213,214].”
From Ecdysterone and Turkesterone—Compounds with Prominent Potential in Sport and Healthy Nutrition (2024) · cites this paper as [213]
The Introduction says the rat experiments used quinoa flour, while a quinoa extract was used for the in vitro assays. Results §3.4 (p. 14) reports increased intestinal IFN-γ expression in rats given quinoa, supporting an immune-related effect. The paper does not report anti-obesity, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, or collagenase-modulating effects in rats. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Authors: Ballegaard, A. R., Larsen, J. M., Rasmussen, P. H., Untersmayr, E., Pilegaard, K., & Bøgh, K. L.
Affiliations: Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Medical University of Vienna (AT)
Corresponding author: Bøgh, Katrine Lindholm
ORCID: Ballegaard, Anne‐Sofie Ravn
Larsen, Jeppe Madura
Rasmussen, Peter Have
Untersmayr, Eva
Pilegaard, Kirsten
Bøgh, Katrine Lindholm
Venue: Molecular Nutrition & Food Research
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2021-05-16
Volume: 65
Issue: 13
Pages: e2100102-e2100102
ISSN: 1613-4125 (ISSN-L)
1613-4133
DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202100102
OpenAlex: W3159741414
Cited by: 13
References: 41
Citations by year: 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4
FWCI: 1.49
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations: Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics: Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Seed and Plant Biochemistry
Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology
Keywords: quinoa, saponins, intestinal permeability, intestinal barrier function, intestinal inflammation, Peyer's patches, lamina propria, cholera toxin, capsaicin, Caco-2 cells, infant feeding
MeSH terms: Animals, Capsaicin, Cholera Toxin, Dietary Proteins, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Intestines, Male, Permeability, Seeds, Caco-2 Cells, Goblet Cells, Chenopodium quinoa, Rats

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Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Seeds Increase Intestinal Protein Uptake

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