LUPIN 3623
LUPIN
L C Trugo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
D von Baer, Universidade de Concepción, Concepción,
Chile
E von Baer, CAMPEX Semillas Baer, Temuco, Chile
Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Introduction
0001 Lupin is a legume plant from which the seeds have
been used as food and feed from ancient times. The
green plant has been used extensively in some coun-
tries as forage for animal feeding and also as organic
material for soil enrichment or in crop rotation. Des-
pite its qualities and potential, it has not become a
major world crop. This article will review the main
characteristics of this plant, the nutritive value of its
seeds, and the uses and potential for more extensive
production.
The Plant and its Origin
0002 Lupin or lupine are trivial names for plants of the
genus Lupinus belonging to the Leguminosae family,
subfamily Papilonoideae. This genus is very diverse
and contains several known species. It is an annual
plant, usually 0.3–2 m in height, with a highly
branched stem, digitated leaves, and a shrubby growth
pattern. The flowers formed high above the leaves,
may be of several different colors (white, yellow,
purple, blue), and exude a honey-like aroma. The
roots are relatively long, usually nodular, and may
grow down to 3 m. The lupin plant has the ability to
fix nitrogen and mobilize phosphorus and other elem-
ents by the exudation of citrate to the soil. This is very
important for soil enrichment in infertile areas. The
pods are normally flat and with a hairy aspect on the
outside. They vary in length (4–10 cm) and,
depending on the species, have different types of
seeds that may vary in size, shape, or color. However,
the endosperm is usually yellowish, and the most
common seeds are flattened (Lupinus albus) or
ovoid (Lupinus mutabilis) with diameters in the
range 2–15 mm. It is a plant well adapted to poor
sandy and acid soils and also to high altitudes, and
to temperate climates, as found in Europe. The most
important species that are produced on a commercial
scale are L. albus, L. angustifolius, L. luteus, and
L. mutabilis (see color plate 101).
0003 The lupin has its origin in the Old World in the
Mediterranean region, and also in the New World, in
North America and in the Andean highlands. Some
representative examples of the former are L. albus,
L. angustifolius, L. luteus, and L. consentinii. Tarwi
is the indigenous name of L. mutabilis, which is the
lupin found in the Andes (Table 1). However, there
are probably more than 200 wild species, most of
them in the New World. L. albus was cultivated as a
food by the ancient Romans, Egyptians, and Greeks;
however, due to its bitter taste, the mature seed had to
be submitted to prolonged washing before consump-
tion. A similar treatment was also used by the ancient
inhabitants of the Andes. The seeds of tarwi were
boiled, thoroughly washed in a river for several
days, and then properly cooked for immediate con-
sumption or dried for future use. Presently, several
different species of lupins are grown in Europe, some
parts of Africa, South America, Australia, and New
Zealand, including a number of sweet low-alkaloid
varieties that are now commercially available.
Nutritive Value
Lupin seeds show similar nutritive attributes to soya 0004
beans, particularly with respect to protein and fat
content. Some species may have protein contents up
to 50 g per 100 g and up to 22 g per 100 g of fat in the
seeds. The proximate composition of seeds of some
relevant lupin species are presented in Table 2. The
protein and fat content may be further increased by
dehulling the seeds.
Protein
The lupin seed is one of the richest sources of plant 0005
protein. The protein content varies largely between
species, with L. mutabilis and L. luteus presenting
unusually high values (near 50 g per 100 g), surpassing
most soya bean cultivars, whereas L. albus presents
an intermediate protein content and L. angustifolius
lower values. Lupin seed protein provides all the
Table 1 Taxonomic and common names of some commercial tbl0001
lupin species
Species Common names
L. albusa
White lupin, Egyptian lupin, tremoob,
altramuzc
L. angustifoliusa Blue lupin, narrow-leafed lupin
L. luteusa Yellow lupin, tremosillac
L. mutabilisd Tarwi, tauri, tarhui, chochoc, Andean lupin
a
b
Mediterranean origin.
Portuguese name.
c
Spanish names: altramuz may be used also to designate other species.
d
Andean origin; tarwi, tauri, and tarhul are from native languages.