Cultivar and Growing Location Effects on Fatty Acids, Minerals, and Sugars in Green Seeds of White Lupin (Lupinus albus L.)

Evaluation of green immature seeds from ten cultivars of white lupin (Lupinus albus L., Fabaceae), grown in two locations in Virginia (USA) during two years, indicated that physiological mature but green white lupin seeds con- tained 33 percent protein and 7 oil on dry weight basis. Contents of C18:3, saturated, unsaturated, mono-unsaturated, and poly-unsaturated fatty acids in white lupin green seeds were 10, 18, 84, 40, and 42 percent of total oil, respectively. White lupin green seeds contained 0.39, 1.34, 0.20, 0.37, 0.21, and 0.03 percent, dry weight basis, of P, K, S, Ca, Mg, and Na, respectively. White lupin green seeds contained 56, 8, 224, 8, 56, and 22 mg/kg Fe, Al, Mn, Cu, Zn, and B, respectively. Contents of fructose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, verbascose, and total sugars in green white lupin seeds were 0.25, 0.42, 2.71, 1.17, 6.01, 1.32, and 11.98 g/100 g meal, respectively. Growing locations significantly affected composi- tion of green white lupin seeds whereas effects of cultivars were limited. White lupin green seeds compared well with green peas and vegetable soybean seeds. Results indicated that white lupin green seeds may have potential as human food.