Artículo científico: pág. 32

Volumen 7, Número 1, enero - junio, 2024 - Recibido: 01-03-2024, Aceptado: 26-03-2024

https://doi.org/10.46908/tayacaja.v7i1.221

Design and construction of equipment for the elimination of saponin in

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd): Performance tests with Amarillo

Marangani variety

Diseño y construcción de equipo para eliminación de saponina en Quinua (Chenopodium

quinoa Willd): Pruebas de funcionamiento con variedad Amarillo Marangani

Wilson Manuel Montañez Artica1, Juan Federico Ramos Gómez2, Sonia Amandy Sinche Charca2, Beetthssy

Zzussy Hurtado-Soria1, Stalein Jackson Tamara Tamariz1 y Eudes Villanueva López1,

1 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Tayacaja Daniel Hernández Morillo, Perú

2 Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Perú

Contacto: 1wilson.montanez@unat.edu.pe RESUMEN

Quinoa is a very important grain for human nutrition; In recent years, several research studies have addressed its

nutritional use; However, one of its main weaknesses is its saponin content, which is an anti-nutrient and has a bitter

taste. The debittering process involves the principle of recirculation of large quantities of water, with the purpose of

reducing the consumption of this substance, it is important to develop methodologies and equipment that improve

the efficiency of these traditional washing methods and reduce the work of operators and processors with the intention

of making it less costly. The objective of the present research work was to design and build a quinoa de- saponifier ,

Amarillo Maranganí variety, to evaluate the effect of washing time (5, 10 and 15 min) and the flow of water

recirculated by pumping (15, 30 and 45 L/min), on the elimination of saponin to acceptable commercial levels. The

results indicated that the highest saponin extraction was achieved when using washing times of 5 min with water

flow rates of 15 L/min, and 51.75 % of the initial saponin content was eliminated. In general, it is stated that increasing

the flow rate of the washing water reduces the extraction efficiency, but performing a second washing significantly

reduces the extraction, the equipment developed presents promising characteristics for application in the industry.

Keywords: Saponin, de-bittering, pumping water, extraction.

ABSTRACT

La quinua es un grano muy importante para la alimentación humana, en los últimos años diversas investigaciones

han abordado su aprovechamiento nutricional; sin embargo, una de sus principales debilidades se encuentra en el

contenido de saponina, que es un anti nutriente y cuyo sabor es amargo. El proceso de desamargado implica el

principio de recirculación de grandes cantidades de agua, con el propósito de reducir el consumo de esta sustancia,

es importante desarrollar metodologías y equipos que mejoren la eficiencia de estos métodos tradicionales de lavado

y que permitan reducir el trabajo de operadores y procesadores con la intención de hacerlo menos costoso. El objetivo

del presente trabajo de investigación fue diseñar y construir un equipo para eliminación de saponina de quinua

variedad Amarillo Maranganí, para evaluar el efecto del tiempo de lavado (5; 10 y 15 min) y el caudal de agua

recirculada por bombeo (15, 30 y 45 L/min), en la eliminación de saponina a niveles comerciales aceptables. Los

resultados indicaron que la mayor extracción de saponina se logró al utilizar tiempos de lavado de 5 min con caudales

de agua de 15 L/min, llegando a eliminarse el 51.75 % del contenido inicial de saponina. En general se afirma que al

incrementar el caudal del agua de lavado se reduce la eficiencia extractiva, pero realizar un segundo lavado reduce

significativamente la extracción, el equipo desarrollado presenta características prometedoras para aplicarse en la

industria.

Palabras clave: Saponina, desamargado, agua de bombeo, extracción.

Design and construction of equipment for the elimination of saponin in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd):

Performance tests with Amarillo Marangani variety (32 - 39)

Artículo científico: pág. 33

Volumen 7, Número 1, enero - junio, 2024 - Recibido: 09-01-2024, Aceptado: 19-03-2024

https://doi.org/10.46908/tayacaja.v7i1.219

INTRODUCTION

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) has recently

attracted considerable attention in the food industry due

to its exceptional nutritional value, this pseudocereal

belongs to the family Chenopodiaceae, naturally

contains high levels of protein, vitamins, minerals,

dietary fiber and well-balanced essential amino acids

(Lan et al., 2024). It provides bioactive compounds that

have a positive impact on human health by reducing the

risk of chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress

(Ren et al., 2023). Various studies have shown that

quinoa contains 87 different saponins (Mroczek, 2015;

Zehring et al., 2015). Saponins, present mainly in the

shell of the quinoa seed, are one of the main anti-

nutritional agents that contribute to a bitter taste,

significantly influenced by their consumption in

animals and humans (Bilalis et al., 2019; Suárez-

Estrella et al., 2018). Therefore, the quinoa debittering

process is important for the elimination of saponin;

various methods have been developed for this purpose,

and the classic method is the wet method (use of water).

In wet saponin release the washing of quinoa grains in

washing machine type machines is based on physical

principles of agitation and turbulence. The volumetric

ratio of water, quinoa grains, soaking time, duration of

agitation or turbulence and water temperature are

determining factors for satisfactory scarification and

saponin release; however, foam formation and the high

cost of grain drying are limiting factors. (Mujica &

Ortiz, 2006). Cerrón (2014), indicates that the washing

time of 5 and 10 minutes does not have a significant

effect on the elimination of saponin, recommends using

a pre-soaking stage of 20 min and followed by two

washing cycles in 5 and 10 more minutes. A final rinse

removes 81.34% and 76.21% of the initial saponin

content. Mache (2015), in washing previously scarified

quinoa at speeds of 1,002 rpm and 605 rpm with times

of 5 and 10 min, determined the same effect in the

removal of saponin, while the loss of protein was of the

order of 2.28%. IICA (2011) reports agroindustrial

ways for the saponin release of quinoa, where the

quinoa grains are subjected to a process of successive

washings with turbulent water, using industrial

blenders. The results of saponin release are

satisfactory, also for very bitter varieties. Regarding the

washing temperature: the hotter the washing water, the

more efficient the saponin release. However, the water

should not be heated more than 57° C, because at this

temperature the gelatinization of the quinoa starch

begins. Regarding the duration of washing, the quinoa

is conditioned by soaking it for 30 minutes at room

temperature in order to facilitate saponin release, since

upon contact with water the saponin crystals dissolve,

being subsequently eliminated during washing. Soto

(2010) indicates that the maximum saponin

concentration value stipulated in the Bolivian technical

standard and the Andean Community of Countries,

which is no longer perceptible by the human senses, is

0.12%. The objective of this research work was to

design and build equipment for the removal of saponin

from quinoa to evaluate the effect of washing time and

water flow on the significant removal of saponin with

the purpose of reducing the consumption of this

substance, in comparison to traditional washing

methods, and which, in turn, reduces the work of

operators and processors, with the intention of making

it less expensive in terms of labor use.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Raw material

The raw material used in the experimental process for

the operation test of the built machine was the quinoa

grain of the Maranganí Yellow Variety, acquired at the

Los Andenes Experimental Station – Cusco, of

Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria (INIA).

The research work was carried out in the Food

Engineering laboratories of the Faculty of Food

Industry Engineering of the Universidad Nacional del

Centro del Perú, and in the Mechanical Industry plant

of Persona Natural José Luis Ñavincopa Juño, located

in Pasaje Los Geranios Mz “E” lot 10, Chilca district,

Huancayo Province.

Physical and chemical analysis

Proximal chemical analysis

The specific AOAC International analysis methods

(Horwitz & Latimer, 2005) mentioned below were

used: moisture determination AOAC-925.10, fiber

determination AOAC 978.10, fat determination

AOAC-954.02 and ash determination: AOAC-942.05.

Protein determination was carried out according to the

methodology used by Vidueiros et al. (2015). Finally,

the determination of carbohydrates by difference: %

carbohydrates = 100% - % humidity - % ash - %

proteins - % fats.

Saponin determination

The foam method founded by Koziol (1993) was used,

with the following protocol: 0.50 ± 0.02 g of whole

quinoa grains were weighed and 5.0 mL of distilled

water was added to a test tube. After capping the test

tube, shake the tube vigorously for 30 seconds, wait 10

seconds for the foam to stabilize. Finally, the height of

the foam (H) is read and the following equation was

applied:

% 𝑺𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟒𝟒𝟏. 𝑯 (𝒄𝒎)

𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 (𝒈)

Determination of apparent and real density

The mass/volume relationship was used in a 25 ml test

tube and with mass determined on an electronic balance

with a precision of 0.01 g, as suggested by Cervilla

Design and construction of equipment for the elimination of saponin in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd):

Performance tests with Amarillo Marangani variety (32 - 39)

Artículo científico: pág. 34

Volumen 7, Número 1, enero - junio, 2024 - Recibido: 09-01-2024, Aceptado: 19-03-2024

https://doi.org/10.46908/tayacaja.v7i1.219

(2012). The real density was determined using the

procedure suggested by Atarés (2017), who used the

pycnometric method and consists of weighing the

empty pycnometer (mp), Add a mass of quinoa to the

pycnometer until it is completely filled (mp+q) and then

take the weight (pycnometer + quinoa). Completely fill

the pycnometer containing quinoa with water

(mp+q+H2O), taking care to eliminate any existing

bubbles and level with water and proceed to weigh

(pycnometer + quinoa + water). Fill the pycnometer

with water and make up to the mark (mp+H2O) and then

proceed to weigh. The following formulas were used

for the calculations:

𝒎𝑯𝟐𝑶 = 𝒎𝒑+𝑯𝟐𝑶 – [ 𝒎𝒑+𝒒+𝑯𝟐𝑶 – ( 𝒎𝒑+𝒒– 𝒎𝒑)

𝑽𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍 = 𝒎𝑯𝟐𝑶 / 𝝆𝑯𝟐𝑶

𝝆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍 = (𝒎(𝒑+𝒒) – 𝒎𝒑) / 𝑽𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍

Design and operational testing of the equipment

To design the team, the process suggested by Budenaz

(2011) was used, which first proposes defining and/or

recognizing the needs raised by society, followed by

schematic development or pre-design for the identified

need.

The third step is the preliminary design of the machine,

which allows evaluating the quality of the idea created

to meet the requirements for satisfying the identified

need through an analysis of each and every one of the

components considered in the design. The fourth step

is related to the development of drawings and technical

specifications and the construction of the equipment

shown.

The experimental work for operation consisted of

washing the Amarilla Marangani variety quinoa, using

the constructed equipment. Previously, the grains were

soaked for a period of 15 minutes using a dose of three

parts of water at room temperature (17º C ± 2º C)

because it is the usual temperature used by quinoa

processors, because it does not require the use of

additional energy that generates cost overruns and a

part of quinoa suggested by Borda & Gamarra (2003).

After this time, the grains were subjected to washing

with a water recirculation flow rate of 15, 30 and 45

L/min, for times of 5, 10 and 15 min (Table 1),

respectively. At the end of it, the water content was

drained and replaced with an equal amount of water,

and then proceeded with rinsing for a period of 5 min

using a recirculation flow rate of 15 L/min.

Once the quinoa was washed, they were dried at a

temperature of 50º C with an air speed of 2.0 m/s (16.5

A power supply from the speed variator that controls

the rotation speed of the motor connected to the air fan),

until reach a humidity of 13% on a wet basis, for this

purpose the dryer was used; once this humidity was

reached, the saponin content was determined.

Table 1

Factorial distribution of treatments for saponin extraction in

quinoa

Treatment

Flow rate

(L/min)

Time (min)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Chemical and physical characterization of quinoa.

The data regarding the characterization of the quinoa

grains are presented in Table 2. The equilibrium

humidity that the quinoa reached was 12.40%, which

was obtained during the solar drying to which it was

subjected during flocking (arc arrangement of the cut

quinoa plants), the initial moisture content was similar

to that presented by Arguello-Hernández et al. (2024)

which was between 14.75 - 15.22%; However, this

same author, after performing convection drying,

determined that the final moisture content ranges

between 5.34% and 9.40%, which agrees with the

findings of other authors Pedrali et al. (2023) and

Pellegrini et al. (2023), who reported ranges of 5.27-

8.64% and 6.1-8.3%, respectively.

Quinoa is a type of high protein food, and the protein

content of quinoa seeds can range from 11 - 19% of

fresh weight (Le et al., 2021). In our study the protein

content was in the range also mentioned by Rodríguez

Gómez et al. (2021) who indicates that the protein

content of six varieties of quinoa ranged between

15.6% and 18.7%.

Regarding the fat content (6.28%) it was in the range

found by Arguello-Hernández et al. (2024) which

ranged between 3.43% and 6.94%, with an average of

5% on a dry basis; On the other hand, the value found

in this study was higher than those found by Präger et

al. (2018), Pedrali et al. (2023) and Pellegrini et al.

(2023), who reported minimum values of 5.5%, 5% and

4.54%, respectively. The ash content was between the

measured values of 4.94% and 18.04% for the cultivars

"Inia431-Altiplano", "White", "Titicaca", " Illpa Inia "

and "Carmen", grown in Turkey (Aysan, 2020). The

reports regarding carbohydrates in quinoa are between

46-77% (Miranda et al., 2010), this range contains the

value obtained in Table 1 The crude fiber content was

lower than that reported by Arguello-Hernández et al.

(2024) who determined values between 7.30 - 8.49%

for the Chimborazo quinoa ecotype.

Design and construction of equipment for the elimination of saponin in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd):

Performance tests with Amarillo Marangani variety (32 - 39)

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Volumen 7, Número 1, enero - junio, 2024 - Recibido: 09-01-2024, Aceptado: 19-03-2024

https://doi.org/10.46908/tayacaja.v7i1.219

The saponin content of 1.141% (114.1 mg/100g) on a

dry basis was lower than the values presented by Chen

et al. (2023) that were between 135.75 and 550.96

mg/100 g; On the contrary, our values were around 110

mg/100 g, on a dry basis, of saponins reported for sweet

quinoa, which level is lower than the threshold for

detecting bitterness in quinoa flour (Koziol, 1991). A

high saponin content (greater than 500 mg/100g) is not

suitable as commercial cereals, but can provide

materials for anti-inflammatory and anticancer

activities (Escribano et al., 2017).

The apparent density value determined was equal to

that reported by Cervilla et al. (2012) for quinoa

harvested in the province of Salta in Argentina, whose

range is from 650 to 720 g/ mL, for grains with

humidity between 8.85 to 11.45%. But lower than that

reported by Egas (2010) 743 kg/m3 for quinoa of the

Tunkahuán variety and that determined by Vilche

(2003) which ranges between 747 to 667 kg/m 3. These

slight differences are mainly due to the fact that in

determining the apparent density there is not equal

humidity between the Amarillo Marangani variety and

the other varieties of quinoa. The actual density of the

yellow Marangani variety quinoa (1191.4 kg/m 3) is

slightly above that reported by Vilche et al. (2003) for

humidity of 25.8%, probably due to the larger diameter

of the grains of the quinoa that was investigated. The

real density determined 1.1914 g/cm 3, with humidity

on a wet basis 12.3%, is quite close to that of amaranth

seeds (Amaranthus cruentus), reported by Abalone

(2004), which ranges between 1390 to 1320 kg/m3.

However, amaranth grains have a much smaller

diameter than quinoa. What was determined for the

Amaraillo variety quinoa marangani is higher than the

real density of chia reported by Ixtaina (2008) of 0.931

to 1.075 g/cm3, which has grain diameters ranging from

2.32 to 1.39 mm.

Table 2

Chemical and physical characterization of quinoa

grains

Characteristic

Content (𝑿

± 𝑺)

Moisture (%) *

12.400 ± 0.043

Fat (%)

6.280 ± 0.021

Protein (%)

15.410 ± 0.120

Ash (%)

3.652 ± 0.022

Carbohydrates (%)

69.640 ± 0.502

Crude Fiber (%)

5.023 ± 0.102

Saponin (%)

1.141 ± 0.027

Apparent density (g/mL)

0.721 ± 0.005

Real density (g/mL)

1.191 ± 0.000

*(Wet basis), 𝑿

(Average) and 𝑺 (Standard deviation).

Construction of equipment for saponin removal

The design and construction of the equipment was

based on the equipment having a component that

allows it to contain the quinoa that is to be debittered,

and a water recirculation system by pumping (pump

and recirculation pipes), which in turn agitate the

medium. to keep the quinoa grains suspended in water

(as individual entities), so as to facilitate the extraction

of saponin from the episperm of the pseudocereal,

which is where it is fundamentally located. All these

main components are shown in the diagram in Figure

1. The development of the technical specifications to

be used for the construction of the equipment and each

of the components are as follows:

Construction material

All components must be constructed of AISI 304

stainless steel plates and tubes, according to what is

suggested by Norton (2011) and Mott (1996), where it

is indicated that the food contact areas must have a

medium roughness value (Ra ≤ 0.8 μm); which

guarantees that microorganisms and spores with a size

between 1 μm and 10 μm can be detached from the

surface at a detergent circulation speed of 2 m/s.

Stainless steel meets all these required characteristics.

Figure 1

Design of equipment for removing saponin from

quinoa: 1-washing cylinder cover, 2-main washing

cylinder, 3-container basket, 4-structure, 5-piping

system

Design of the quinoa container basket

Prior to the design of the container basket, the load

capacity for the washing system has been determined.

Design and construction of equipment for the elimination of saponin in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd):

Performance tests with Amarillo Marangani variety (32 - 39)

Artículo científico: pág. 36

Volumen 7, Número 1, enero - junio, 2024 - Recibido: 09-01-2024, Aceptado: 19-03-2024

https://doi.org/10.46908/tayacaja.v7i1.219

As it is a prototype, it has been planned that the loading

capacity of quinoa per washing batch in the equipment

is 1.0 kg, then this amount of quinoa was deposited in

a component of the equipment called internal basket

that is completely mobile, to facilitate the entry and

withdrawal of quinoa grains in blocks. It has been

planned that the internal basket must be separated from

the walls of the main cylinder by a distance of 1.3 cm

and be supported by the base of the cylinder at the point

where it begins to narrow. To ensure this requirement,

the base of the basket must have a diameter close to that

of the main cylinder. Considering that the apparent

density of the yellow Marangani variety quinoa is

0.721 g/cm3, in order to contain 1.0 kg of quinoa, a

minimum volume of 1386.96 cm3 was necessary. On

the other hand, it has been proposed that washing

should be carried out with three parts of water (taking

1 kg of quinoa as a reference), which makes it

necessary to consider an additional 3000 cm3 to be

occupied by water. The minimum volume necessary to

be occupied by quinoa plus water was 4386.96 cm3.

Given that the equipment can be used for debittering

sweet or bitter varieties, a volume was considered to be

occupied by the foam produced during the operation, in

this case in the worst situation, which is when treating

bitter quinoa. The additional volume considered is 85%

of the volume already occupied by quinoa plus water,

which makes an additional 3728.92 cm3. Volume

necessary to be occupied by the stable foam that is

formed during the debittering operation (Koziol, 1993)

and does not exceed the upper edge of the basket, which

would cause losses due to dragging of quinoa grains,

which would make its collection difficult. The

minimum total volume of the basket taking all these

considerations was 8115.88 cm3.

With these determined data, it has been planned that the

shape of the basket will be cylindrical with a diameter

of 18.6 cm, with a flat and perforated base, with hole

dimensions of 0.5 mm. The minimum necessary height

determined was 29.86 cm (rounding it will be 30 cm),

it must have one or two handles that facilitate the

placement and removal of the basket in the main tank.

The thickness of the stainless-steel plate for the

construction of the basket will be 1/20 inch. The flat

base of the basket must have a diameter of 21.2 cm; so

as to ensure the support of the basket inside and allow

adequate separation of the walls of the main cylinder,

without hindering the easy placement and removal of

the basket.

Washing equipment main cylinder

The washing tank, which must contain the quinoa

basket and the washing water, presented a hygienic

finish (half-round joints) that facilitates cleaning, the

bottom was funnel-shaped to ensure complete drainage

of the water and comply with the standardized by ISO

14159 (2002). A stainless-steel tube was welded to the

lower central part. The thickness of the stainless-steel

plate for the construction of the tank was 1/16 inch.

Depending on the dimensions of the quinoa container

basket, the cylinder had an external diameter of 21.6

cm and an internal diameter of 21.4 cm; with a total

height of 57.20 cm measured from the beginning of the

narrowing (funnel). The height of the funnel was 2.5

cm. The latter must have a 1.5-inch diameter tube

welded to the base. The main cylinder is made up of a

cover that provides security to the system when it is in

operation and prevents fouling when it is not operating.

Piping system

It was made up of five independent sections, two of

them containing a threaded end and the other end with

a terminal fitted for a clamp connection, one made of

1.5-inch tube and the other made of 1.0-inch diameter

tube. A 90º elbow with a clamp -type terminal at each

end made of 1.5-inch diameter tube. The pipe welded

to the base of the main cylinder must have one end

fitted for a clamp union and be constructed of 1.5-inch

diameter pipe. A pipe with one end conditioned for a

clamp union, a straight section followed by a 90º elbow

generated by bends of the same tube followed by

another straight section followed by another 90º elbow

generated by bends of the same material, all built in 1.0

tubes. inch in diameter, at the end it must have a 0.75-

inch diameter tube welded to it. The 1.5-inch diameter

pipe, which has a threaded end, must have a 1.25-inch

diameter pipe with a threaded end welded very close to

the threaded end, to facilitate the placement of a gate

valve.

Water Pump

This component is the heart of the equipment, it allows

the recirculation of the washing water through the

quinoa bed, with various flow rates, which can be

changed using a speed variator connected to the

equipment motor. It consists of an electric motor,

whose shaft is connected directly to the pump impeller,

so the rotation speed of the motor also corresponds to

the rotation speed of the pump impeller. The operating

principle was based on the transformation of the

mechanical energy provided by the rotation of the

impeller (speed) into pressure energy of an

incompressible fluid such as water provided by the

volute or casing. The calculations carried out required

a pump with a minimum power of 0.35 HP. For

practical reasons and the availability of pumping

equipment on the market, it has been decided to

purchase a 0.5 HP centrifugal type pump, which is

closest to the minimum power needed, with 1.25-inch

threaded suction and discharge connections. of 1.0

inch, according to the design of the water recirculation

piping system. It must have access for priming and

draining the water delivery compartment (casing or

volute). Handle flow rates between 20 to 70 L/min,

Design and construction of equipment for the elimination of saponin in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd):

Performance tests with Amarillo Marangani variety (32 - 39)

Artículo científico: pág. 37

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https://doi.org/10.46908/tayacaja.v7i1.219

single-phase electrical power supply of 220 V and 60

Hz, 500 Watts of electrical power consumption,

rotation speed of 3450 rpm. The drive rotor was made

of steel, which ensures an efficiency of no less than

60%, the exterior finish with the application of

electrostatic paint. The variable speed drive was

controlled from an operator display, with power from

0.25 to 1.5 HP, connection to a 220 V and 60 Hz

electrical power supply.

Operation of the equipment and quantification of

saponins

To determine whether the factors (flow and time) of the

3x3 factorial design that include interaction (flow *

time) are significant or not (p<0.05), on the extraction

of saponins with the designed equipment. The ANOVA

was carried out and it was determined that the time

factor (p=0.397) was not significant on the extraction

of saponins, while the flow factors (p=0.000) and

flow*time (p=0.014) were significant in the

experiment. This means that time is not a key factor for

the debittering of quinoa in the range of 5 to 15 min, a

result similar to that found by Cerrón (2014), who did

not find significant differences in the final saponin

content with the washing times of 5 and 10 minutes, but

that the proportion of saponin removed reached 81.34%

and 76.21% respectively in two washing cycles and one

rinsing cycle. On the other hand, the recirculation flow

rate of the washing water (during debittering) does

generate significantly different effects on the final

saponin content; Likewise, the interaction of time and

the flow of water used during the debittering of quinoa

also showed significant differences in the final saponin

content achieved with each of the treatments

(combination of the levels of each of the factor’s time

and water flow). debittered), so it was necessary to

know which combination has the best effects in

reducing the level of saponin content of quinoa grains.

In Table 3, it can be seen that treatment T1 (flow rate =

5L/min and time = 5 min) reduced saponin levels in

quinoa to a greater extent until reaching 0.55% (55

mg/100g), this indicates that. With respect to the initial

saponin value of 1.141% (114.1 mg/100g) on a dry

basis, it allows a reduction of 51.797% of saponin, with

48.204% of saponin remaining in the grain with the

first wash. Other treatments that did not present a

significant difference with T1 were T7 (flow rate =

15L/min and time = 5 min), T4 (flow rate = 15L/min

and time = 10 min), T2 (flow rate = 30L/min and time

= 5 min) and T8 (flow rate = 30L/min and time = 15

min); However, these treatments have the characteristic

of presenting a higher flow rate, which represents a

higher operating cost, and because the time factor is not

significant, then T1 is the treatment that presents the

best conditions to be able to establish operating

parameters. It is key to indicate that the removal of

51.797% of saponin in a first wash must be tested with

a second continuous wash so that in two successive

washes the extraction percentage is the maximum.

Table 3

Saponin content for quinoa grain treatments

Treatment

Saponin (%)

Tukey test *

0.550 ± 0.028

0.595 ± 0.035

cde

0.740 ± 0.014

0.560 ± 0.014

0.640 ± 0.028

bcd

0.650 ± 0.014

0.560 ± 0.014

0.630 ±0.014

bcde

0.710 ± 0.000

*Equal letters do not share significant difference (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A pilot washing system has been designed and built to

debitter quinoa. The three washing times tested allowed

the elimination of an equal proportion of saponin

present in the Amarilla Marangani variety quinoa. The

performance tests of the designed and built equipment

determined that the interaction of the 5-min treatment

with a flow rate of 15 L/min allowed the elimination of

the highest saponin content from the quinoa grains,

which reached up to 51.796%. Although the results of

this work present this type of equipment as promising,

it is recommended to work in two or more washing

cycles for complete debittering and removal of

saponins, even this same methodology is due to other

bitter varieties of quinoa.

Design and construction of equipment for the elimination of saponin in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd):

Performance tests with Amarillo Marangani variety (32 - 39)

Artículo científico: pág. 38

Volumen 7, Número 1, enero - junio, 2024 - Recibido: 09-01-2024, Aceptado: 19-03-2024

https://doi.org/10.46908/tayacaja.v7i1.219

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