carbohydrate composition of cotyledons and hulls of cultivars of Lupinus angustifolius from Western Australia

The hulls and cotyledons from three Western Australian cultivars (Gungurru, Yorrel and Danja) of Lupinus angustifolius, all of low alkaloid content, were analysed separately for their carbohydrate content and composition. Only minor differences in composition between these three cultivars were observed. More notably, the cotyledons of all the cultivars contained levels of non‐starch polysaccharides (NSP), ranging from 290 to 310 g kg−1 dry weight considerably higher than had been measured previously in cultivars of this species. Galactose, arabinose and uronic acid residues accounted for approximately 67%, 13% and 10%, respectively, of the cotyledon NSP. Although only a small proportion of the cotyledon NSP is soluble, a much larger proportion could be extracted with hot EDTA treatment. The oligosaccharide content of the cotyledons ranged from 74 to 80 g kg−1 dry weight. Cotyledons had very low contents of cellulose, lignin and starch. Hulls consisted predominantly of NSP, with values ranging from 856 to 891 g kg−1 dry weight. Glucose, xylose, uronic acids and arabinose were the principal sugar residues present reflecting the compositions of the major constituent polysaccharides, cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins. Only low levels of lignin were measured in hulls. Cotyledon NSP and hulls from these cultivars may have considerable value as sources of dietary fibre in the human diet.