NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION AND BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS OF MASHUA (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz and Pavón)

Abstract

The objective of this revision is to collect information about the chemical and nutritional composition and the bioactive components of mashua; an economically important tuber in the Andean region. This tuber has a high content of bioactive compounds (total phenols, Flavin 3-ols, anthocyanins, proanthocyanins, carotenoids, triterpenes, steroids, flavones and leucoanthocyanidins) which confers it with therapeutic and medicinal properties that have allowed it to be used since pre-Hispanic times, which has elicited a peak in scientific interest in recent years. Recent studies have reported the efficient use of mashua in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, cancer, as well as chelating properties in metallic ions to remove peroxyl radicals. However, other studies find evidence of negative effects caused by the tuber due to the presence of thiocyanates that when releasing hydrocyanic block oxygen transportation in red blood cells, whilst tannins diminish voluntary feeding of poly-gastric animals, reducing digestibility and productivity. On the other hand, the bioactive components and nutritional composition of the tuber are high in relation to various Andean tubers and certain fruit that have demonstrated an important scientific contribution in medicine and industry