Taking WA’s lupin crop mainstream
Lupins have long been touted as the next 超级食物, linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, 糖尿病和肥胖.
But there are significant hurdles before 羽扇豆 can become the next kale or acai. And they relate to proteins.
These proteins not only affect 羽扇豆’ taste, but their nutritional properties and production – both yield and profitability.
在澳大利亚, the biggest single producer of 羽扇豆, they’re less associated as a food for humans and more as a crop for stockfeed.
Food labelling regulations
Lupins are one of only 10 foods which are subject to mandatory 过敏原标签 in Australia.
Now researchers from hg8868皇冠 and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, are developing methods which can assist food producers to provide value-added high protein ingredients whilst complying with food-labelling regulations.
The development of new methods to select lupin varieties with ideal food characteristics will see 羽扇豆 transformed from feed to 超级食物.
The research also aims to benefit lupin breeding strategies by identifying hypoallergenic (low allergen) lupin varieties.
Taking testing to the next level
hg8868皇冠 PhD candidate Arineh Tahmasian, working with Professor of Food and Agricultural Proteomics, 米歇尔Colgrave, led the development of a new testing regime to identify more than 2,500 different proteins in 羽扇豆.
“Whilst the previous proteomics studies of lupin focused only on the most abundant seed proteins, we were able to identify and quantify thousands of proteins from lupin seeds,Tahmasian女士说.
By examining these proteins, we can gain insights into the processes affecting the nutritional profile, taste and allergenic content of lupin seeds.
“We can also discover the key proteins responsible for important agricultural traits such as environmental tolerance, disease resistance and increased yield.”
This work will enable the team to identify important characteristics in different lupin varieties to allow breeders to select or develop varieties suited to new markets.
释放羽扇豆
Ms Tahmasian said lupin seeds are incredibly healthy; however, only around four per cent of the annual crop is consumed by humans.
Lupin seeds are very nutritious, with high protein and dietary fibre content and low levels of carbohydrates and fat.
“They’re commonly used in 无谷蛋白产品 and offer a compelling alternative for 植物肉 products.
“研究 has also shown 羽扇豆 can reduce the risk of obesity or developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”
Despite 羽扇豆 being better known as feed for sheep, 猪或牛, around one-third of Australians are now adding legumes as a 植物性, gluten-free 蛋白质的来源 in their diets.
被垄断的市场
Australia accounts for around 55 per cent of the global lupin crop, which is mainly grown in Western Australia.
hg8868皇冠的研究, in collaboration with CSIRO, is aiming to increase adoption of complementary 蛋白质的来源s through the 未来的蛋白质任务.
The mission aims to help Australian producers, growers and processors earn an additional $10 billion in revenue by leveraging the increasing global demand for high quality protein.
‘Evaluation of 蛋白质的提取 methods for in-depth 蛋白质组分析 of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus狭叶的)种子”。 published in the journal Food Chemistry.