Quinoa is an Andean grain, classified as pseudocereal and the exploitation of its nutritional profile is of great interest for the cereal-based industry. The germination of quinoa seeds (white and red royal) was tested at 20 °C for different times (0, 18, 24 and 48 h) to select the best conditions for improving the nutritional quality of their flours. Changes in proximal composition, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, mineral content, unsaturated fatty acids and essential amino acids profiles of germinated quinoa seeds were determined. In addition, changes in structure and thermal properties of the starch and proteins as consequence of germination process were analyzed. In white quinoa, germination produced an increase in the content of lipids and total dietary fiber, at 48 h, the levels of linoleic and α-linolenic acids and antioxidant activity increase, while in red quinoa, the component that was mostly increased was total dietary fiber and, at 24 h, increased the levels of oleic and α-linolenic acids, essential amino acids (Lys, His and Met) and phenolic compounds; in addition, a decrease in the amount of sodium was detected. On the basis of the best nutritional composition, 48 h and 24 h of germination were selected for white and red quinoa seeds, respectively. Two protein bands were mostly observed at 66 kDa and 58 kDa, being in higher proportion in the sprouts. Changes in macrocomponents conformation and thermal properties were observed after germination. Germination was more positive in nutritional improvement of white quinoa, while the macromolecules (proteins and starch) of red quinoa presented greater structural changes. Therefore, germination of both quinoa seeds (48 h-white quinoa and 24 h-red quinoa) improves the nutritional value of flours producing the structural changes of proteins and starch necessary for obtaining high quality breads.

Bread is a highly consumed food whose nutritional value can be improved by adding an oat flour (Avena sativa L.-variety Bonaerense INTA Calen-Argentina) to a high-industrial quality wheat flour (Triticum aestivum L.). This cultivar of oat contains high amounts of β-glucans, which act as a prebiotic fiber. Wheat flour was complemented with different amounts of oat flour (5, 15, and 25%). A contribution of hydrophilic components from oat flour was evident in the oat–wheat mixtures. At the same time, the high content of total dietary fiber led to changes in the rheological properties of the dough. Mixtures with a higher proportion of oats showed an increase in alveographic tenacity (stiffer dough), higher stability, and a lower softening degree in farinographic assays. The dough showed significant increases in hardness and gumminess, without significant changes in cohesiveness, i.e., no disruption to the gluten network was observed. Relaxation tests showed that the blends with a higher oat content yielded 10 times higher stress values compared to wheat dough. Analysis of the oat–wheat breads showed improvements in nutritional parameters, with slight decreases in the volume and crust color. The crumb showed significant increases in firmness and chewing strength as the amount of oats added increased. Nutritional parameters showed that lipids, dietary fiber, and β-glucans were significantly increased by the addition of oats. Sensory analysis achieved high response rates with good-to-very good ratings on the hedonic scale set. Thus, the addition of oats did not generate rejection by the consumer and could be accepted by them. Breads with wheat and oats showed nutritional improvements with respect to wheat bread, since they have higher dietary fiber content, especially in β-glucans, so they could be considered functional breads.