Biological, Quality, and Sensory Evaluation of Raw and Microwaved Quinoa Baked Tortilla Chips

Quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal with notable bioactive properties, making it suitable for the development of functional snacks. This study is aimed at comparing the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), individual phenolic profile, and antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of tortilla chips made from raw quinoa (RQTC) and microwave‐cooked quinoa (MQTC) before and after an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. In addition, sensory and instrumental characteristics were evaluated to assess their acceptability. The results showed that after digestion, MQTC exhibited the highest recovery index at the intestinal phase of TPC (165%), whereas this was highest during the gastric phase (154%) for RQTC. Flavonoid content was highest in the gastric phase, particularly in RQTC (141%), although MQTC stood out for its higher recovery in the intestinal phase. Antioxidant activity increased significantly throughout digestion, reaching its peak in the intestinal phase for MQTC (40 times higher than the undigested sample). UHPLC analysis revealed a differential release of phenolic compounds, with remarkable increases after the gastric phase of MQTC according to the recovery index of quercetin (3195%) > ferulic acid (567%) > p ‐coumaric acid (239%) > rutin (168%); in contrast, the recovery of phenolics in the intestinal phase was higher for p ‐coumaric acid (4538%) > ferulic acid (209%) > rutin (51%). MQTC had the highest sensory acceptability, especially regarding mouthfeel, and showed the lowest fracturability values, associated with a more brittle texture. Instrumentally, MQTC had the highest browning index, with no significant differences in lightness. These findings suggest that microwave cooking enhances the release and functionality of bioactive compounds without compromising sensory quality, positioning MQTC as a promising healthy snack option.