Botanical description, cultivation, and nutritional profile of ancients' grains (Quinoa, Chia, and Buckwheat) and their importance in 21st century: A review

Abstract

The populations of emergent nations are increasing, some of them are facing food insecurity and hunger issues. Different
factors i.e., elevation in the process of building up land, climate change, and rough land use are accountable for the rise in the
demand of food. Due to this the demand of time to grow alternative crops such as quinoa, chia, and buckwheat, which have
higher nutritive value as well as resistance behavior than traditional crops like wheat, rice, and maize to cope with hunger and
food security. Then production of these different crops helps to deal with economic issue and provides various macronutrients
and minute nutrients. Alternative crops i.e., quinoa, chia, and buckwheat can survive against abiotic factors (heat stress, frost,
high salinity, water stress) and biotic factors (insect/pest attack, weeding) and thus provide better production. Moreover, these
crops contain higher amounts of protein, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, and lipids which play important role in diet of
humanitarians. Though this review enlightens the intent of pseudo-cereals demand in present era by focusing on their
competitive production to combat world insecurity of food and to increase the awareness about these crops’ compositions.
These crops contain high medicinal values as the patients can use the products of these crops to treat their diseases. Production
of alternative crops can also play important role in country’s economy.