RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SENSORY PROPERTIES OF LUPIN SEED WITH ALKALOID AND TANNIN CONTENT

Seven sensory characteristics (bitter, green, beany, metallic, astring ent, floury and woody) were identified for a slurry of eight samples o f milled lupin seed in water. This quantitative assay was applied to t he seed of five species of lupin, which included three sweet and five bitter varieties. The levels of both total and individual alkaloids an d of total tannin and catechin were determined by the chemical analysi s of the seed and related to the sensory characteristics. A positive c orrelation was observed both between the bitter, metallic and woody ta stes and between these tastes and total alkaloid content. Individual a lkaloids, catechin and total tannin levels were not related to any of the sensory characters. Floury taste was inversely correlated to bitte r, metallic and woody tastes, whilst astringent, green and beany taste s appeared to be independent of the other sensory characters.