Lathyrus sativus

Lathyrus sativus, is a legume (family Fabaceae) commonly grown for human consumption and livestock feed in Asia and Africa. It is a particularly important crop in areas that are prone to drought and famine, and is thought of as an 'insurance crop' as it produces reliable yields when all other crops fail. It is also known as grass pea, blue sweet pea, chickling vetch, Indian pea, Indian Vetch, white vetch, guaya (Ethiopia), and khesari (India).

Like other grain legumes, L. sativus produces a high-protein seed. The seeds also contain contain variable amounts of a neurotoxic amino acid beta-oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid or ODAP. ODAP is considered as the cause of the disease neurolathyrism (lathyrism), a neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis of the lower body. The diseae has been seen to occur after famines on the Indian subcontinent or in Ethiopia, when Lathyrus seed has been the exclusive or main nutrient for extended periods. Reseach has shown that ODAP concentration increases in plants grown under stressful conditions, compounding the problem.

Breeding programs are underway to produce lines of L. sativus that produce less ODAP.

External link

• IPBO Lathyrus Research Laboratory
• Lathyrus Lathyrism Newsletter