Preliminary Estimation of Variation of Alkaloids Content in White Lupin (Lupinus albus L.) Collection

Abstract

Grain legume crops are crucial elements of global agriculture and nutrition, both as food and feed, since they are major sources of plant protein. Of the many species of genus Lupinus, L. angustifolius, L. luteus and L. albus (characterized by high protein content) are particularly important from the agricultural point of view. Among them, white lupin (L. albus) has unexploited potential in Poland as a crop plant due to its high seed yield as well as protein and oil content in the seeds. In white lupin breeding, the reduction of alkaloid content in seeds is important. The paper presents an assessment of the variability in total alkaloid content and qualitative composition of alkaloids in seeds of white lupin. Plant material constituted 150 accessions from domestic collections, divided into five classes: wild collected material, landraces, induced mutants, breeding lines, and cultivars. Total alkaloid content was analysed along with qualitative composition expressed by four major alkaloids, and broad variation was found. The total alkaloid content varied from 0.008 to 11.1% of seed dry weight. An apparent decrease in alkaloid content was shown in breeding lines and cultivars, indicating a clear influence of domestication. The four major alkaloids (abundance >1%) were lupanine (mean 71.3%), 13–hydroxylupanine (10.46%), multiflorine (6.8%) and angustifoline (3.8%). The lower alkaloid content of breeding lines and cultivars, as compared to wild lines and landraces, was associated with higher relative contents of 13–hydroxylupanine and angustifoline and lower relative contents of lupanine and multiflorine.