The effect of cultivar and environment on saponin content of Australian sweet lupin seed

Abstract

Abstract Seed from six cultivars of the lupin species Lupinus angustifolius were grown over 2 years in four areas of Australia, with up to 15 plots sampled within each area. Saponin contents in the harvested seed ranged from 379 to 740 mg kg −1 . Three saponins were detected, two of which possessed chromatographic properties identical to soyasaponins I and VI, while the third appeared to possess a novel structure. The changes observed in saponin content were found to be mainly dependent on variety, followed by the site and then the region where grown. No significant effect was found between growing seasons although there was a strong correlation between saponin content and the site grown.