A look at the brighter facets of β-N-oxalyl-l-α,β-diaminopropionic acid, homoarginine and the grass pea

Achievements and Challenges in Improving the Nutritional Quality of Food Legumes

“…Also, risks of over-consumption of β-ODAP can be reduced by the fortification of grass pea with cereals rich in sulphur amino acids and condiments rich in anti-oxidants, such as onion, garlic, and ginger (Getahun et al, 2003;. However, the activation of protein kinase C by β-ODAP adds a new positive dimension for investigating its therapeutic potential in such areas as Alzheimer's disease, hypoxia, and the long-term potentiation of neurons essential for memory (Rao, 2011).…”

L-Homoarginine and L-arginine are antagonistically related to blood pressure in an elderly population

“…It should be noted that next to production of L-homoarginine by these two metabolic routes, dietary intake may also contribute to endogenous levels of L-homoarginine. Some legumes have a very high content of nonprotein amino acids, including L-homoarginine, and for example, the grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), which is used as feed for domestic animals as well as for human consumption, is a very rich source of L-homoarginine [35,36].…”

Correlation of drought resistance in grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) with reactive oxygen species scavenging and osmotic adjustment

“…Accordingly, grass pea is considered one of the most promising sources of starch and protein for the vast and expanding populations of drought-prone areas of Asia and Africa (Jiao et al 2011a;Korus et al 2008;Vaz Patto et al 2006). More recently the nutritional and likely health benefit of grass pea for humans is also coming into light (Rao 2011;Singh et al 2004). Grass pea not only has potential as an agriculturally important crop for animal feed and human food, it also can be useful for studies of plant drought resistance.…”