Yield and Nutritional Quality Traits of White Lupin Sprouts

Harbans L Bhardwaj,Anwar A Hamama

doi:10.5539/jas.v4n1p58

Abstract

Use of mature lupin seeds for human nutrition has been prevalent since ancient times. Lupin seed have been used as food for over 3000 years around the Mediterranean and for as much as 6000 years in the Andean highlands. However, no information is available about value-added products from lupin, especially white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), for human consumption. We prepared sprouts from seed of eight white lupin genotypes, grown at two locations in Virginia during 2003-04 crop season. These sprouts were analyzed for various traits. Location effects were significantly for all traits except for moisture content of sprouts whereas genotypic effects were significant only for fresh sprout yield. The mean values for fresh yield (g) and contents (percent on dry weight basis) of moisture, crude fiber, oil, and protein, in white lupin sprouts were 74.8, 78.4, 16.7, 7.6, and 41.3, respectively. Oil and protein contents of white lupin sprouts were similar to alfalfa sprouts whereas white lupin sprouts had higher contents of oil and protein than mungbean sprouts. Based on crude fiber content, white lupin sprouts were superior to alfalfa and mungbean sprouts. Results indicated that white lupin sprouts have potential as human food.

Highlights

Sprouts from seeds of various grain crops are considered healthy for human consumption
Location effects were significant for fresh yield and contents of protein, crude fiber, and oil (Table 2) with seeds produced at Petersburg location resulted in superior contents of oil and protein (8.3 and 42.7 percent, respectively) over sprouts made from seed produced at Suffolk location (6.9 and 39.9 percent, respectively)
We compared contents of oil, protein, and crude fiber in white lupin sprouts produced in our study to those for alfalfa and mungbean reported in the literature (Table 3)

Summary

Introduction

Sprouts from seeds of various grain crops are considered healthy for human consumption. Sprouts are considered a predigested food, with higher biological efficiency values and lower levels of antiphysiologic factors than raw or cooked seeds (Balasaraswathi and Sadasivam, 1997; Chung et al, 1989). We are evaluating white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), as a new and alternative crop for the mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America. Lupin is a cool-season legume plant native to Mediterranean, North Africa, and North and South America. Andean lupin from South America (L. mutabilis L.) and the West Australian Sandplain or blue lupin (L. consentinii L.) are grown on a limited basis because of their hard seed and high alkaloid content (Field and Putnam, 1993)

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Results