Production of L-carnitine Enhanced Fermented Quinoa with Rhizopus oligosporus and its Bioactive Properties

Abstract

Quinoa is a pseudocereal that contains high quality protein, minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, and phytosterols. In this study, quinoa was fermented by Rhizopus oligosporus (R.oligosporus) up to 5 days and degradation of quinoa starch granules were observed with a scanning electron microscope. After optimization of fermentation based on L-carnitine production, L-carnitine and GABA amounts were 3.14 mg/kg and 1.04 g/kg at the third day. Total phenolic contents and total flavonoids contents were 8.0 mg gallic acid (GAE)/100 g and 1.9 mg quercetin equivalent (QE) /100 g for five days fermented quinoa (5F), and 4.1 mg GAE/100 g and 1.3 mg QE/100 g for regular quinoa (NF), respectively. Antioxidant activity (SC50) was 2.3 mg/mL for 5F and 3.6 mg/mL for NF. Nitric oxide production on RAW264.7 macrophages of fermented quinoa revealed 29.3% inhibition of nitric oxide production of NF and 56.4% for 5F, resulting in improvement 1.9 times in anti-inflammatory activity. Fatty acids composition in fermented quinoa was increased

myristic acid (68%), palmitic acid (48%), palmitoleic acid (264%), margaric acid (25%), stearic acid (129%), linoleic acid (33%) and linolenic acid (32%), compared to the regular quinoa. As for lipid soluble extract, wound healing effects on scratched HaCaT keratinocyte were enhanced from 24.8% wound closure effects of NL to 67.5% and 58.3% of 3L and 5L, respectively.