Potential of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) as an oil crop

Abstract

White lupine has a long history of cultivation and wild-growing forms have been preserved in Greece until nowadays. Seeds of white lupine are rich in proteins but also contain significant amounts of oil making it an interesting source of edible seeds. The demand for new types/sources of oil is constantly rising following the rising demand for food diversification and quality, thus giving an opportunity for less used crops to enter the market. Soybean is the largest source of vegetable oil in crop production globally but in addition to soybean, other legume species have the potential to be a source of vegetable oil. One of these species is the white lupine. To determine the potential of white lupine as a source of oil it is important to analyze oil content and composition. White lupine genotypes from the collection of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad were tested in 2010. Oil and protein content were measured and two different genotypes had the highest oil content of 11.27%, and the highest protein content of 37.31%. Fatty acids composition in white lupine seed was marked with the presence of rare fatty acids, such as capric and lauric, and a high content of oleic acid. The obtained results indicate that white lupine can be of use as a source of oil intended for specific porpoises, primarily in the processing industries, as well as cold-pressed oils, which could justify oil extraction through their value.