Lupinine
Encyclopedia
Lupinine is a bitter tasting alkaloid
present in Lupinus spp. of Leguminosae plants. The scientific literature contains specifications for isolation and for synthesis of this compound. The bitter taste of the lupinus beans renders them unsuitable for human and animal consumption. In the past, Lupinus spp. plants have been used as green fertilizers for acidic soils. However, efforts were made to develop "sweet" varieties of Lupinus for human consumption. The presently available "sweet" Lupinus spp. varieties' seeds still contain reduced concentrations of lupinine. However, due to the high protein content (up to 40%) of Lupinus seeds, efforts are made by extraction (hexane-alcohol-water) to reduce lupinine content of the seeds and to produce lupin milk and other types of food ingredients from Lupinus spp.
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
present in Lupinus spp. of Leguminosae plants. The scientific literature contains specifications for isolation and for synthesis of this compound. The bitter taste of the lupinus beans renders them unsuitable for human and animal consumption. In the past, Lupinus spp. plants have been used as green fertilizers for acidic soils. However, efforts were made to develop "sweet" varieties of Lupinus for human consumption. The presently available "sweet" Lupinus spp. varieties' seeds still contain reduced concentrations of lupinine. However, due to the high protein content (up to 40%) of Lupinus seeds, efforts are made by extraction (hexane-alcohol-water) to reduce lupinine content of the seeds and to produce lupin milk and other types of food ingredients from Lupinus spp.