Here is a wildflower with a lot of potential for food development. Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are next to soybeans among the grain legumes with regard to protein content in seed (28-48% depending on species), and they contain much fewer carbohydrates than most other legumes. Uniquely, Lupin contains almost no starch and yet they are considered a rich source of fiber. Lupin also contains interesting phytonutrients, including flavonoids and phenolic acids like apigenin, caffeic acid and gallic acid. Lupin has a history of use in many cultures, reaching back to Egyptians and Romans, as either fodder for livestock or the bitter seed was soaked before use as food by man or animal.
After World War II, the German Botanical Society held a “lupin dinner” in order to promote the use and interest as lupin as a crop. The dinner featured many things made from lupin including, lupin steaks, liquor, coffee, tablecloths, and napkins. Shortly after this, breeding efforts produced a “sweet” or low-alkaloid lupin type, and this process of crop improvement is still continuing. There are many varieties of Lupin being developed for the market, but normally they are characterized as either sweet or bitter varieties. A large amount of lupin is produced in Australia (as a rotation crop for wheat), and some of it is used for grazing, while a large quantity of the seed is exported to the EEC and Pacific Rim for high protein animal feed.
White lupin is high in protein (32-38%) and oil (10-11%) and does not contain anti-nutritional compounds, such as trypsin inhibitors. In comparison, soybean meal contains 44% protein. White lupin has been fed to many types of livestock, and dairy cows do as well on lupin as soybean meal. It is noted that lupin that is fed to livestock should have an alkaloid content of less than 0.02%.
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