1. Directorate of Organic Farming NARC Islamabad.
Amaranth
Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth or pigweed, is a
cosmopolitan genus of herbs. Approximately 60 species are recognized,
with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to gold.
Members of this genus share many characteristics and uses with
members of the closely related genus Celosia.
Although several species are often considered weeds, people around
the world value amaranths as leaf vegetables, cereals, and
ornamentals.
The word comes from the Greek amarantos the "one that does not
wither," or the never-fading (flower).
Systematics
Amaranthus shows a wide variety of morphological diversity among
and even within certain species. Although the family (Amaranthaceae)
is distinctive, the genus has few distinguishing characters among the
70 species included This complicates taxonomy and Amaranthus has
generally been considered among systematists as a “difficult” genus.
Formerly, Sauer (1955) classified the genus into 2 sub-genera,
differentiating only between monoecious and dioecious species: Acnida
(L.) Aellen ex K.R. Robertson and Amaranthus. Although this
classification was widely accepted, further infrageneric classification
was (and still is) needed to differentiate this widely diverse group.
Currently, Amaranthus includes 3 recognized sub-genera and 70
species, although species numbers are questionable due to
hybridization and species concepts. Infrageneric classification focuses
on inflorescence, flower characters and whether a species is
monoecious/dioecious, as in the Sauer (1955) suggested classification.
A modified infrageneric classification of Amaranthus was published by
Mosyakin & Robertson (1996) and includes 3 subgenera: Acnida,
Amaranthus and Albersia. The taxonomy is further differentiated by
sections within each of the sub-genera.
• Amaranthus acanthochiton greenstripe
• Amaranthus acutilobius sharp-lobe amaranth
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Popping Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.)
Popping Amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) Green Amaranth (Amaranthus viridis)
Cultivation of Amaranth at NARC; Islamabad.
Uses - Grain amaranth
A traditional food plant in Africa, this vegetable has potential to
improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and
support sustainable landcare.
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Several species are raised for amaranth grain in Asia and the Americas.
Ancient amaranth grains still used to this day include the three species,
Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus, and Amaranthus
hypochondriacus. Although amaranth was (and still is) cultivated on a
small scale in parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, India, and Nepal, there
is potential for further cultivation in the U.S and tropical countries and
it is often referred to as ”The crop of the future”. It has been
proposed as an inexpensive native crop that could be cultivated by
indigenous people in rural areas for several reasons: 1) easily
harvested, 2) produces a lot of fruits (and thus seeds) which are used
as grain, 3) highly tolerant of arid environments which are typical of
most subtropical and some tropical regions, and 4) large amounts of
protein and essential amino acids, such as lysine. Due to its weedy life
history, amaranth grains grow very rapidly and their large seedheads
can weigh up to 1 kilogram and contain a half-million seeds.
Amaranthus species are reported to have a 30% higher protein value
than cereals, such as rice, wheat flour, oats, and rye.
Amaranth grain is a crop of moderate importance in the Himalaya. It
was one of the staple foodstuffs of the Incas, and it is known as
kiwicha in the Andes today. It was also used by the ancient Aztecs,
who called it huautli, and other Native America peoples in Mexico to
prepare ritual drinks and foods. To this day, amaranth grains are
toasted much like popcorn and mixed with honey, molasses or
chocolate to make a treat called alegría ("joy" in Spanish).
Amaranth was used in several Aztec ceremonies, where images of their
gods (notably Huitzilopochtli) were made with amaranth mixed with
honey. The images were cut to be eaten by the people. This looked like
the Christian communion to the Roman Catholic priests, so the
cultivation of the grain was forbidden for centuries.
Because of its importance as a symbol of indigenous culture, and
because it is very palatable, easy to cook, and its protein particularly
well suited to human nutritional needs, interest in grain amaranth
(especially A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus) was revived in the
1970s. It was recovered in Mexico from wild varieties and is now
commercially cultivated. It is a popular snack sold in Mexico City and
other parts of Mexico, sometimes mixed with chocolate or puffed rice,
and its use has spread to Europe and parts of North America. Amaranth
and quinoa are called pseudo grains because of their flavor and
cooking similarities to grains. These are dicot plant seeds, and both
contain exceptionally complete protein for plant sources. Besides
protein, amaranth grain provides a good source of dietary fiber and
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dietary minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and
especially manganese. People have also found it beneficial to prevent
the premature greying of the hair folicles.
Vegetables
Amaranth species are cultivated and consumed as a leaf vegetable in
many parts of the world. There are 4 species of Amaranthus
documented as cultivated vegetables in eastern Asia: Amaranthus
cruentus, Amaranthus blitum, Amaranthus dubius, and Amaranthus
tricolor.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called bayam, while the
Tagalogs in the Philippines call the plant kulitis. In Karnataka state in
India it is used to prepare Hulli. Palya, Maggigayhulli and so on. In
Tamilnadu State, it is regularly consumed as a favourite dish, where
the greens are steamed, and mashed, with light seasoning of salt, red
chillis and cumin. It is called keerai masial. In Andhra Pradesh, India,
this leaf is added in preparation of a popular dal called thotakura
pappu. In China, the leaves and stems are used as a stir-fry vegetable
and called yin choi (pinyin: xiàncài; and variations on this
transliteration in various dialects). In Vietnam, it is called rau d?n and
is used to make soup. There are two species popular as edible
vegetable in Vietnam: d?n d?- amaranthus tricolor and d?n com or d?n
tr?ng- amaranthus viridis.
In East Africa, Amaranth leaf is known in Swahili as mchicha. It is
sometimes recommended by some doctors for people having low red
blood cell count. Also known among the Kalenjin as a drought crop
(chepkerta). In West Africa such as in Nigeria, it is a common
vegetable, and goes with all Nigerian carbohydrate dishes. It is known
in Yoruba as efo tete or arowo jeja ("we have money left over for
fish"). In Congo it is known as lenga lenga or biteku teku. In the
Caribbean, the leaves are called callaloo and are sometimes used in a
soup called pepperpot soup.
In Greece, Green Amaranth (Amaranthus viridis) is a popular dish and
is called vleeta. It's boiled, then served with olive oil and lemon like a
salad, usually alongside fried fish. Greeks stop harvesting the (usually
wild-grown) plant when it starts to bloom at the end of August.
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Dyes
The flowers of the 'Hopi Red Dye' amaranth were used by the Hopi
Amerindians as the source of a deep red dye. There is also a synthetic
dye that has been named "amaranth" for its similarity in color to the
natural amaranth pigments known as betalains. This synthetic dye is
also known as Red No. 2 in North America and E123 in the European
Union.[13]
Ornamentals
The genus also contains several well-known ornamental plants, such as
Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding), a native of India and a
vigorous, hardy annual with dark purplish flowers crowded in
handsome drooping spikes. Another Indian annual, A. hypochondriacus
(prince's feather), has deeply-veined lance-shaped leaves, purple on
the under face, and deep crimson flowers densely packed on erect
spikes.
Amaranths are recorded as food plants for some Lepidoptera (butterfly
and moth) species including the Nutmeg and various case-bearers of
the genus Coleophora: C. amaranthella, C. enchorda (feeds exclusively
on Amaranthus), C. immortalis (feeds exclusively on Amaranthus), C.
lineapulvella and C. versurella (recorded on A. spinosus).
Nutritional value
Amaranth greens, also called Chinese spinach, hinn choy or yin tsoi
cheera; bayam phak khom ? ????? tampala, or quelite, are a common
leaf vegetable throughout the tropics and in many warm temperate
regions. It is very popular in India. They are a very good source of
vitamins including vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C,
riboflavin, and folate, and dietary minerals including calcium, iron,
magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese.
Because of its valuable nutrition, some farmers grow amaranth today.
However their moderately high content of oxalic acid inhibits the
absorption of calcium and zinc, and also means that they should be
avoided or eaten in moderation by people with kidney disorders, gout,
or rheumatoid arthritis. Reheating cooked amaranth greens is often
discouraged, particularly for consumption by small children, as the
nitrates in the leaves can be converted to nitrites, similarly to spinach.
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Amaranth seeds, like buckwheat and quinoa, contain protein that is
unusually complete for plant sources. Most fruits and vegetables do not
contain a complete set of amino acids, and thus different sources of
protein must be used.
Several studies have shown that like oats, amaranth seed or oil may be
of benefit for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease;
regular consumption reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels,
while improving antioxidant status and some immune parameters.
While the active ingredient in oats appears to be water-soluble fiber,
amaranth appears to lower cholesterol via its content of plant.
References:
Juan et al. (2007). Electrophoretic characterization of Amaranthus L.
seed proteins and its systematic implication. Botanical Journal of the
Linnean Society 155: 57-63.
Costea, M & D. DeMason (2001). Stem morphology and anatomy in
Amaranthus L. (Amaranthaceae)- Taxonomic significance. Journal of
the Torrey Botanical Society 128(3): 254-281.
Judd et al. (2008). Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach, Third
Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, MA
Mosyakin & Robertson (1996). New infrageneric taxa and
combinations in Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae). Ann. Bot. Fennici 33:
275-281.
"Amaranth". Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables. Lost Crops of
Africa. 2. National Academies Press. 2006-10-27. ISBN 978-0-309-
10333-6. OCLC 34344933 79635740.
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11763&page=35.
Retrieved 2008-07-15.
Costea et al. (2006). Delimitation of Amaranthus cruentus L. and
Amaranthus caudatus L. using micromorphology and AFLP analysis: an
application in germplasm identification. Genetic Resources and Crop
Evolution 53: 1625-1633.
Marx (1977). Speaking of Science: Amaranth: A Comeback for the Food
of the Aztecs? Science 198(4312): 40.
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De Macvean & Poll (1997). Chapter 8: Ethnobotany. Tropical Tree Seed
Manual, USDA Forest Service, edt. J.A Vozzo.
Tucker, J. (1986). Amaranth: the once and future crop. Bioscience
36(1): 9-13.
Costea (2003). Notes on Economic Plants. Economic Botany 57(4):
646-649.
Enama, M. (1994). "Culture: The missing nexus in ecological economics
perspective". Ecological Economics 10 (10): 93–95. doi:10.1016/0921-
8009(94)00010-7.
"The following color additives are not authorized for use in food
products in the United States: (1) Amaranth (C.I. 16185, EEC No. E123,
formerly certifiable as FD&C red No. 2);" FDA/CFSAN Food Compliance
Program: Domestic Food Safety Program
Czerwinski J, Bartnikowska E, Leontowicz H, et al. (Oct 2004). "Oat
(Avena sativa L.) and amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) meals
positively affect plasma lipid profile in rats fed cholesterol-containing
diets". J. Nutr. Biochem. 15 (10): 622–9.
doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2004.06.002. PMID 15542354.
Gonor KV, Pogozheva AV, Derbeneva SA, Mal'tsev GIu, Trushina EN,
Mustafina OK (2006). "[The influence of a diet with including amaranth
oil on antioxidant and immune status in patients with ischemic heart
disease and hyperlipoproteidemia]" (in Russian). Vopr Pitan 75 (6):
30–3. PMID 17313043.
Martirosyan DM, Miroshnichenko LA, Kulakova SN, Pogojeva AV,
Zoloedov VI (2007). "Amaranth oil application for coronary heart
disease and hypertension". Lipids Health Dis 6: 1. doi:10.1186/1476-
511X-6-1. PMID 17207282.
