Lupin Seeds Research Articles

Identification of antihypertensive peptides from lupine using a machine learning approach

Bioactive products with antihypertensive biological activity, isolated from natural sources, have been the subject of growing interest in recent years. This is due to their widespread use in medicine for the treatment and prevention of various diseases, as well as dietary supplements for athletes or their inclusion in diets for overweight people. One such source is Lupine. Lupine beans are delicious and useful. They can be used in food as a nutritional source of vegetable proteins. They are also rich in polyphenols, carotenoids, and phytosterols. The approaches to screen antihypertensive peptides, based on information technologies and more concretely on machine learning, doubtlessly have higher throughput and rapid speed than the in vivo and in vitro procedures. Therefore, the scientific literature abounds with articles offering various artificial intelligence algorithms for predicting food-derived antihypertensive peptides. In this study, an Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) algorithm was developed for these purposes. The results showed that the AdaBoost model as a novel auxiliary tool is feasible to screen for antihypertensive peptides derived from food, with high throughput and high efficiency.

The Effect of Supplementing White Sweet Lupine Grain Meal (Lupinus albus L.) on Blood and Milk Metabolites, Milk Yield, and Quality of Dairy Cows in Ethiopia

Feed is the cornerstone of dairy production, serving as a crucial input for sustainable milk production. This trial aimed to investigate the effect of white sweet lupine grain meal inclusion on feed intake, blood and milk metabolites, milk yield, and quality. The experimental cows had a parity of 2±0.71 (mean ± SD), a daily milk yield of 12.72 ± 0.9, and an average body weight of 412.6 ± 21.5 kg. The varying proportions of treatment diets were: 75, 50, 25 and 0% (T1, T2, T3 and T4) treatment groups respectively. Data collected during the study were subjected to analysis of variance to determine significant differences. Cows fed diet T1 showed a better dry matter (10.39 kg/day), organic matter (7.31 kg/day), nitrogen (2.42 kg/day), and NDF intakes (3.75 kg/day) that had significant difference on (p<0.05). When lupine inclusions dropped from 75 to 50 and even to 25%, the N digestibility decreased from 76.63, 70.66, and 65.6%, respectively, and the digestibility of N in all treatment diets significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Once more, cows fed T1 diet had the highest (p<0.01) plasma glucose concentration (116.81 mg/dl) among the four experimental groups. Cows fed T2 and T4 diets showed significant variation at (p<0.05) in plasma glucose levels, with values of 108.7 and 110.16 mg/dl, respectively. Cows fed T1 had relatively lower plasma beta-Hydroxybutyric acid and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations (p<0.05) than others, with mean values of 3.23 and 1.28 mg/dl respectively. The partial inclusion of white sweet lupine grain meal up to the level of 75% is highly suggested as a better alternative feed source.

THE EFFECT OF INOCULATION OF BRADYRHIZOBIUM SP. LUPINUS ON PLANT DEVELOPMENT AND YIELDING OF NARROW-LEAVED LUPIN

A field experiment was conducted in the Wielkopolska region at the Gorzyń Research Station, Poland (52.34°N, 15.54°E) in Central Europe. The study was conducted over a 3-year period (2017, 2018, 2019) as a two-factorial desingn with four replications in the randomised plots. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of the cultivar (‘Bolero’, ‘Tytan’) and the inoculation (Nitragina–seeds inoculation, Nitroflora I–seeds inoculation, Nitroflora II–soil inoculation, HiStick® Lupin–seeds inoculation) on plant development, seeds chemical composition and yielding of narrow-leaved lupin. The weather conditions and experimental factors significantly influenced on productivity of narrow-leaved lupin ‘Tytan’. Drought during the growing season reduced seeds and protein yields. After inoculation of HiStck the seeds yield was significantly greater by 12.4% and the protein yield after application of Nitroflora I or HiStick by 13.9% and 19.2%, respectively. Correlation coefficients showed strong relations between number of pods and seeds per plant in both cultivars regardless of the inoculation variant, however the strongest relations in both cultivar were proved on HiStick treatment.

Effect of heat treatment on lupin reactivity against rabbit polyclonal antibodies after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

AbstractDespite the growing interest in lupin as a source of protein, due to its potential to decrease the environmental footprint of food supply, its allergenic properties have not been fully explored. This study focused on lupin's potential to induce allergic reactions in food‐sensitized individuals. The antigenic properties of lupin proteins were investigated after exposing lupin protein isolate as well as lupin flours to an in vitro digestion. The effect of thermal treatment, on the digestibility and immunoreactivity of the proteins was also investigated. Protein breakdown was analyzed by SDS‐PAGE, but also by evaluating the distribution of peptide sizes and the extent of hydrolysis via quantifying the free N‐terminal amino acid content. Immunogenicity was assessed by Western blot analysis using a commercial antibody. The individual or combined effects of the food matrix and processing were noted after gastric digestion of the lupin flours, as some of the protein fractions showed resistance toward pepsin activity and caused responses to the commercial antibodies, particularly the fractions likely associated with α‐conglutin (20 kDa) and γ‐conglutin (17 kDa). Gastric digestion of lupin flours also revealed the possibility of formation of neo‐allergens, which warrants future identification. However, after the intestinal phase, lupin proteins underwent complete hydrolysis, with no observed responses toward the specific antibody used. Nevertheless, these findings underscore the need for further research employing sera from allergic patients to lupin in order to avoid potential false‐negative results.

Towards low-impact food products through reverse engineering: A functionality-driven approach

Currently, food products are formulated by a resource-intensive separation of agro-materials into pure components (isolates). These ingredients are subsequently combined again in food products. Alternatively, impure mildly refined ingredients require fewer resources but are difficult to use in product formulation. Machine learning can predict the properties of these impure ingredients, which facilitates their selection process. This study aims to formulate sustainable ingredient formulations based on predicted techno-functional properties instead of purity (composition). Extensively and mildly refined ingredients from yellow peas and lupine seeds are matched to a product portfolio based on gelation, viscosity, emulsifying stability, and foaming capacity. Formulations based on techno-functional properties include more milder refined ingredients and result in up to 70% reduced global warming potential, water usage, and raw materials compared to formulations based on composition and isolates only. This approach contributes to reducing the environmental impact of the food chain and should be extended to other ingredients or properties.

Utilization of Lupine, Corn, Quinoa and Banana Flours to Produce Nutritious Cake for Celiac Disease Patients

This study aimed to produce a nutritious gluten-free cake in which lupine and corn flours were used as the main substitutes for traditional wheat flour. Chemical analyzes were conducting to the four types of flour as a comparison with standard of wheat flour. Rates of carbohydrates to corn flour, lupine flour, banana flour and quinoa flour consecutively (72.20, 34.76, 90.00, 64.16%) comparison with standers were (74.90%). while rates of protein to corn flour, lupine flour, banana flour and quinoa flour were (6.90, 32.00, 2.60,15.00%) but wheat flour was (10.30%) . Also significant were the variation rates of corn flour, lupine flour, banana flour and quinoa flour for lipids whereas were (3.50, 6.03, 0.82, 7.00%) for the stander, it was (1.60%). The sensory evaluation obtained by the consumer indicated that the control cake significantly received the highest score in overall impression, overall flavor, overall texture, puffiness, color and aftertaste. Although, treatments 5 significantly received the highest score in overall impression, flavor and aftertaste in comparison with other gluten free treatments, that represented that treatment 5 was the best of all gluten-free cakes.

Conglutin Gamma ,a lupin Seed protein Ameliorates Lipid profile in Diabetics

Conglutin Gamma ,a lupin Seed protein Ameliorates Lipid profile in Diabetics

Functional and flavour properties of de-oiled flours and dry-enriched protein concentrates of lupin and soy

Dry fractionation is low in energy and water use and thus a sustainable option to obtain protein-rich ingredients. Air-classification is used to remove starch from legumes, and electrostatic separation can be used to remove fibres from other starting materials like oilseeds. Flour from oil-rich crops needs to be de-oiled to facilitate dry fractionation, which involves the use of organic solvents or mechanical pressing and might affect the ingredient functionality. This research evaluated if the functionality of soy and lupin is affected by solvent de-oiling and electrostatic separation. Industrially toasted soy and lupin flour contained native protein, which was preserved upon electrostatic separation, de-oiling with hexane and de-oiling with acetone, but ethanol de-oiling resulted in protein denaturation. De-oiling with ethanol or hexane is preferred over de-oiling with acetone based on the flavour profile after de-oiling. The use of different solvents affected the solubility to a different extent and electrostatic separation resulted in a similar or higher solubility of the ingredients (22% - 49%), dependent on the solvent, crop and pH condition used. Overall, electrostatic separation resulted in protein-enriched ingredients (43%DM - 67%DM Nfactor=5.7) that show potential for application as stabilizers in emulsion-based systems like dressings or frozen foam-based systems like ice-cream.

Impacts of Different Processes on the Nutritional and Antinutritional Contents of White and Blue Lupin Seeds and Usage Possibilities for Sustainable Poultry Production.

In the current era, it is important to consider economic and ecological sustainability issues while optimally meeting the nutrient needs of poultry. The use and research of alternative feedstuffs have gained importance due to these factors. The aim of this study is to reveal the raw lupin seeds' nutrient ingredients as an alternative feedstuff and the effects of debittering methods. In the present study, two different treatments (germination for 2 days; heat treatment in an autoclave at 130 °C for 20 min) were applied to white and blue lupin seeds, and the differences in nutrient compositions between them and raw seeds were determined. When fatty acid compositions were analyzed, oleic, γ-linolenic, arachidic, behenic, erucic, and lignoceric acid values were found to be the highest in the raw, autoclaved, and germinated forms of white lupin (p < 0.01). The highest values of palmitic, stearic, and linoleic acids were observed in blue lupin (p < 0.01). While the value of total quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) in raw white lupin grains was higher than 1.943 mg/g, it was higher than 1.800 mg/g in autoclaved and germination-treated grains. Similarly, the total QA value of raw blue lupin grains was 0.894 mg/g, 0.609 ± 0.244 mg/g in germination-treated seeds, and 0.705 ± 0.282 mg/g in autoclave-treated seeds. As a result of these findings, it can be said that the methods applied for the removal of bitterness gave promising results. Furthermore, it would be rewarding to use these lupin varieties in in vitro and in vivo experiments to reveal the impacts and mechanisms of debittering methods on poultry.

Attenuating Colorectal Cancer Using Nine Cultivars of Australian Lupin Seeds: Apoptosis Induction Triggered by Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Caspases-3/7 Activation.

As Australian lupin cultivars are rich sources of polyphenols, dietary fibers, high-quality proteins, and abundant bioactive compounds with significant antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities, this research work is aimed at investigating the colon cancer alleviation activity of nine cultivars of lupin seeds on HCT116 and HT29 colon carcinoma cell lines through anti-proliferation assay, measurement of apoptosis, and identification of the mechanism of apoptosis. Nine cultivars were pre-screened for anti-proliferation of HCT116 and HT29 cells along with consideration of the impact of heat processing on cancer cell viability. Mandelup and Jurien showed significant inhibition of HCT116 cells, whereas the highest inhibition of HT29 cell proliferation was attained by Jurien and Mandelup. Processing decreased the anti-proliferation activity drastically. Lupin cultivars Mandelup, Barlock, and Jurien (dose: 300 μg/mL) induced early and late apoptosis of colon cancer cells in Annexin V-FITC assay. The mechanism of apoptosis was explored, which involves boosting of caspases-3/7 activation and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in HCT116 cells (Mandelup and Barlock) and HT29 cells (Jurien and Mandelup). Thus, the findings showed that lupin cultivars arrest cell cycles by inducing apoptosis of colorectal carcinoma cells triggered by elevated ROS generation and caspases-3/7 activation.

Optimization and Characterization of Lupin Protein Isolate Obtained Using Alkaline Solubilization-Isoelectric Precipitation.

The trend in today's society is to increase the intake of vegetable protein instead of animal protein. Therefore, there is a concern to find new sources of alternative protein. In this sense, legumes are the main protein source of vegetable origin. Of all of them, lupins are the ones with higher protein content, although they are currently undervalued as an alternative for human consumption. In this sense, it is vital to characterize and obtain protein isolates from this legume, which satisfies the growing demand. Therefore, in the present work, the procedure for obtaining a lupin (Lupinus luteus) protein isolate (LPI), based on basic solubilization followed by isoelectric precipitation, has been optimized and validated. The optimized LPI, as well as the lupin flour, were subsequently characterized. The chemical composition, physicochemical, as well as the technofunctional properties of the LPI were analyzed. The results show that the proposed procedure had a high yield (23.19 g LPI/100 g flour) and allowed to obtain high-purity protein isolates (87.7 g protein/100 g LPI). The amino acid composition and the chemical scores show high proportions of essential amino acids, being protein deficient only in methionine and valine. Therefore, it can be affirmed that it is a high-quality protein that meets the requirements proposed by the FAO. Regarding the lipid fraction, it is mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1n-9 and C18:2n-6), which is also advisable in order to follow a healthy diet. Finally, LPI showed interesting technofunctional properties (foaming, gelling, emulsifying, water and oil absorption, and solubility), which makes it especially attractive for use in the food industry.

To the question of survival of the fungi Colletotrichum lupini var. lupini – the lupin anthracnose pathogen – in the conditions of the Bryansk region

The results of studying the viability of the fungus Colletotrichum lupini var. lupini, which is the causative agent of a dangerous disease of lupine – anthracnose, are presented. The purpose of the study was to determine the viability of the fungus under different terms and conditions of storage of lupin seeds and plant residues in climatic conditions of the Bryansk region. The work was done in 2018–2021. The object of research were the seeds, seedlings and plant residues of the Michurinsky variety white lupine and the Vityaz variety narrow-leafed lupine stored under different conditions for four years. Seed anthracnose infestation before and after storage was determined by paper roll method. The fungus was identified by conidia type using a light microscope. The viability of the fungus on plant residues (bean leaflets, stems) was determined by isolation into pure cultures on nutrient medium. It was found that infected seeds were the main source of anthracnose infection. In the conditions of a granary with a natural regime of temperature and humidity for the first year of storage the infection of white lupine seeds with anthracnose decreased from 8.1 to 4.0%, and narrow-leafed lupine – from 4.8 to 1.7%. After three years of storage, the number of the seeds with viable infection of the fungus was 1.1 and 0.4%, respectively. Consequently, lupin seeds from previous years pose less risk as a source of infection. The viability of the fungus decreased on the infected crop residues under room conditions and under the roof of the granary from the first year of storage. By spring 2021, it was 12.0 and 19.0%, respectively. The viability of the fungus decreased faster on unplowed crop residues. It was 2.0% in the spring of 2020 and leveled off completely by the fall. Decomposition of plant residues in the soil is faster than on the surface, and after overwintering, the fungus on them completely loses its viability and cannot be the source of infection.

Protein Concentration Affects the Food Allergen γ-Conglutin Uptake and Bacteria-Induced Cytokine Production in Dendritic Cells.

γ-Conglutin (γ-C) from lupin seeds has been identified as a potent allergen with cross reactivity to peanuts. Here, we investigated how γ-C affected the response in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) to bacterial stimuli. γ-C enhanced L. acidophilus NCFM (LaNCFM)-induced IL-12, IL-10, and IL-23 dose-dependently. In contrast, together with E. coli Nissle or LPS, γ-C reduced the production of IL-12 but not of IL-23 and IL-10. Enzyme-hydrolyzed γ-C also enhanced LaNCFM-induced IL-12 and IL-23 production. All preparations induced ROS production in the DCs. The mannose receptor ligands mannan and dextran and the clathrin inhibitor monodansylcadaverine partly inhibited the endocytosis of γ-C. Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and the scavenger receptor ligand polyG also enhanced LaNCFM-induced IL-12, indicating the involvement of receptors other than C-type lectin receptors. The endocytosis of labeled γ-C increased dose-dependently by addition of unlabeled γ-C, which coincided with γ-C's tendency to aggregate. Taken together, γ-C aggregation affects endocytosis and affects the cytokine production induced by gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria differently. We suggest that γ-C is taken up by the same mechanism as other food proteins but due to aggregation is present in higher concentration in the DCs. This could influence the resulting T-cell response in a microbial stimuli-dependent way.

Beyond plant-based alternatives to milk and meat: Product and individual variables influence purchase intention for plant-based yoghurt and eggs

The present research contributed new knowledge to support consumers’ uptake of plant-based (PB) foods and the wider transition to flexitarian and PB diets. Focus was directed to under-investigated PB foods – PB yoghurt and PB eggs – which were studied in a sample of urban-living adult Australian consumers (n = 2114). The research strategy used a combination of text highlighting and rating-based conjoint analysis, and this generated insights that were generic to each product category (text highlighting) and those that revealed preferences for specific product characteristics (text highlighting, conjoint analysis). In text highlighting, the results for the two product categories were similar in finding that consumers responded positively to information about the environmental and personal health benefits of PB foods. Negative responses (text highlighting) were observed for information relating to certain product characteristics. In the conjoint analysis, average purchase intention ratings were 3.6 for PB yoghurt and 3.7 for PB eggs, and thus closer to ‘not at all interested in buying’ (1) than to ‘very interested in buying’ (9). For PB yoghurt, the product concept that received the highest purchase intent had the lowest price and was based on soy milk with 3 % fat content. For PB eggs, only the PB ingredients used influenced stated purchase intent significantly, with positive utility for the combination of green split peas and chickpeas (compared to the combination of mung beans and lupin beans). Individual variables influenced consumer purchase intent in expected ways, and the results identified attitude to PB diets and PB product familiarity as most important, with sex, age, educational attainment, food neophobia and type of diet (omnivore, flexitarian and vegetarian) as lesser influences. These results suggest that improving attitudes to and familiarity with PB foods could contribute to support uptake of PB yoghurt and PB eggs among Australian consumers.

Characterization of texturized meat analogues containing native lupin flour and lupin protein concentrate/isolate

Lupin is a nutritious, yet undervalued grain used as a fodder and food crop. In the present study, native lupin flour (LF), lupin protein concentrate (LPC), and lupin protein isolate (LPI) were combined (70% LPI:LPC blend ratios [30:70, 50:50, and 70:30] and 30% LF constant fraction), extruded at high moisture (45–55%), and shaped with a long cooling die (800 mm) to obtain texturized meat analogues (TMAs) with fibrous structures. The characteristics of TMAs (e.g., hardness, water hydration capacity) depended heavily on water content, blend ratios (LPI:LPC), and to a lesser extent, the long cooling die temperature. Color changes (i.e., L*, b*) were mostly attributed to variations in blend ratios (LPI:LPC). Microstructure analysis showed that TMAs with higher water content (55%) were more likely to have thinner walls and smaller void thickness. Fluorescence imagery revealed that TMAs with lower LPI content presented more homogeneous structures. These findings show that reasonable amounts (30% d.m.) of native lupin flour can be incorporated into meat analogues by maintaining a sufficiently high protein content (>50% d.m.) to trigger the formation of fibrous structures.

Effects of incorporation of lupin flour on the quality attributes of beef burger

Lupin flour is known as an alternative high-ptlant protein for meat products due to its nutritional, health, and functional properties. A factorial experiment was performed to investigate the effect of lupin seed flour treatment (without, steaming, and roasting), meat substitution level with lupin seed flour (0, 5, 10, and 15%), and the interaction between them on the quality attributes of cooked beef burger by measuring CIELAB color, texture profile analysis (TPA), chemical composition (before and after cooking), and cooking properties (cooking loss, fat and moisture retention, and shrinkage). Based on the results of the factorial experiment, a completely randomized design was used to evaluate the sensory attributes of selected treatments. The different substitution levels mainly affected CIELAB color values, chemical composition, and cooking properties. On the other hand, the interaction effect between substitution level and treatment affected TPA. Considering all results, steaming treatment and a substitution level of 10% were selected as the best treatment to produce beef burgers. In comparison to the control burger, the developed burger had higher values of L* (increased by 21.26%), b* (increased by 32.94%), and moisture retention (increased by 37.85%); lower values of fat (decreased by 16.11%), protein (decreased by 6.37%), cooking loss (decreased by 43.22%), shrinkage (decreased 19.69%), and moisture content (decreased by 2.64%); and nonsignificantly different values with other tests performed. This study demonstrated that the incorporation of lupin flour in beef burgers could have the potential to substitute meat, create an alternative high-plant protein burger, and expand the application of lupin flour in the food industry.

Nutraceutical and Functional Properties of Lupin Protein Extracts Obtained via a Combined Ultrasonication and Microwave-Assisted Process

Lupin is an agriculturally economical plant seed. It is considered a rich source of protein for both humans and animals in several regions of the world. Lupin proteins also could act as an encapsulation agent for vitamins and other nutritional factors after extraction. This research evaluated the effects of microwave and ultrasound extraction methods on sweet and bitter lupin proteins intended to act as encapsulation agents. Two distinct sizes of nanoparticles were detected using different types of treatments. Bitter lupin was optimal for generating large nanoparticles, while sweet lupin was optimum for generating small nanoparticles. Ultrasound treatment of bitter lupin after microwave treatment hydrolyzed some of the β-conglutin, which suggested a method to reduce the potential allergic reactions caused by lupin products. The total phenolic content and alpha-amylase inhibitory effect of sweet and bitter lupin proteins was high. Furthermore, the microwave extraction method showed the benefits of reduced solvent consumption and less time. The current results showed a positive effect of the combined application of ultrasound-assisted and microwave-assisted processes on the nutraceutical and functional properties of lupin protein extracts.

Controlling bacterial biofilm formation by native and methylated lupine 11S globulins.

The antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of the 11S globulins isolated from lupin seeds (Lupinus termis), and its methylated derivative (M11S), were investigated against seven pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The MIC of 11S ranged from 0.1 to 4.0 μg/ml against 0.025 to 0.50 μg/ml for M11S, excelling some specific antibiotics. The MICs of M11S were 40-80 times lower than some specific antibiotics against gram-positive bacteria and 2-60 times lower than some specific antibiotics against gram-negative bacteria. One MIC of 11S and M11S highly reduced the liquid growth of all tested bacteria during 24 h at 37°C. They also inhibited biofilm formation by 80%-86% and 85%-94%, respectively (gram-positive), and 29%-44% and 43%-50%, respectively (gram-negative). M11S prevented biofilm formation by gram-positive bacteria at minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC), 0.025-0.1 μg/ml against 0.1-0.5 μg/ml for gram-negative bacteria, i.e., 4-20 times and 4-7 times anti-biofilm inhibitory action compared with 11S, respectively. Biofilm formation of two bacteria revealed no adhered cells on glass slides for 24 h at 37°C, i.e., was entirely prevented by one MBIC of 11S and M11S. Scanning electron microscopy indicated microbial biofilm deformation under the action of 11S and M11S, indicating their broad specificity and cell membrane-targeted action.

Effect of Different Row Spacing and Sowing Density on Selected Photosynthesis Indices, Yield, and Quality of White Lupine Seeds

The use of appropriate plant spacing in the canopy is an important and cost-free agrotechnical factor for increasing seed yield. Proper row spacing and sowing density are important in maintaining adequate plant light, ensuring good physiological processes, and influencing the nutritional status of plants. As a consequence, this leads to better plant productivity while maintaining economic profitability. A four-year field experiment with white lupine was conducted in 2016–2019 at the Experimental Station for Cultivation Assessment in Przecław in southeastern Poland. The factors of the experiment were different row spacing (15 and 30 cm) and sowing density (60, 75, and 90 pcs m−2). Row spacing and sowing density had no significant effect on the yield obtained, the number of pods per plant, and the weight of 1000 seeds of white lupine. There was also no effect of experimental factors on nodulation and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (Fv/Fm, Fv/F0, PI, and RC/R). The use of wider row spacing (30 cm) and the lowest sowing density (60 pcs m−2) resulted in the highest chlorophyll content. For the LAI index, the highest value was found at a row spacing of 15 cm. However, lower plant density per unit area had an effect on increasing the number of seeds per pod and seed weight per plant, which was associated with better conditions for plant growth. It was shown that greater competition between lupine plants in the canopy increased the height of the first pod set without affecting their height.

Changes in colour, tocopherols and carotenoids during the germination of lupin seeds

This study investigated the impact of controlled germination on colour, carotenoids and tocopherols of Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet) seeds. Two Andean lupin ecotypes, Cholo fuerte and Altagracia, were germinated in the dark for two, four and six days; colour coordinates (L*, a*, b*) were determined by colorimeter, while carotenoids and tocopherols were quantified by HPLC. The germination significantly modified the characteristics examined. The luminosity decreased with increasing germination time, while only minor changes were recorded for a* and b* . The sum of all carotenoids increased up to 12-fold during germination, with lutein always being the most abundant compound. The predominant tocol was γ-tocopherol; although total tocol content was almost unchanged, α-tocopherol increased from not-quantifiable up to 74.8 mg/kg dry matter, improving the vitamin E activity, while γ-tocopherol decreased progressively. Our results demonstrate that germination promises to be a cost-effective approach to improve the nutritional properties of lupin seeds.