Lupin seeds are the edible portion of lupin plants, included in the Fabaceae family. They have recently garnered global attention as a sustainable alternative to other legumes. Their resilience to environmental stress and climate adaptability, combined with significant nutritional benefits, make them an attractive crop [1]. Lupins are rich in proteins (>40%) and fibers (>28%), claiming a low-fat content (<6%); they also constitute a potential source of minerals and vitamins. Additionally, they offer bioactive phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, phytosterols and triterpenes, providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, they also contain antinutritional elements, notably quinolizidine alkaloids. The chemical composition of lupins can be influenced by several factors such as species or variety, geographical origin, farming practices, environmental stress, harvesting and processing methods [2,3]. In this study, Lupinus albus L. samples from four southern-central Italian regions were subjected to an untargeted metabolomics approach using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). The aim was to discriminate between samples based on their geographical origin and assess the metabolic variances resulting from distinct agricultural practices (conventional vs. organic farming). Unsupervised Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were employed to explore natural clustering tendency among the samples. Additionally, a supervised Orthogonal Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) revealed robust clustering and predictive capability, identifying over 25 putative biomarkers across various compound classes, including alkaloids, amino acids, glycerophospholipids, and fatty acids. The results highlighted the impact of the origin and farming techniques on the metabolomic composition and distinctiveness of lupin samples; this could be crucial for cultivation optimization, traceability ensurance and quality assessment of lupins, aiming to increase consumers attention and preferences, given their potential nutritional properties.
Eugelio F., Palmieri S., et al., Molecules, 28 (2023), 1531 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28041531
Pereira A., Ramos F., et al., Molecules, 27 (2022), 8557 https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238557
Eugelio F., Palmieri S., et al., Food Chemistry: X, 23 (2024), 101769 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101769