Lathyrus and Lathyrism Newsletter

1998

1986

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2018

Lathyrus cicera L. is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, originating in the Mediterranean centre of diversity. Together with its close relative, L. sativus, it is most likely the first crop domesticated in Europe, namely in the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. Today, L. cicera is sharing the destiny of numerous, legume, cereal and other once widely grown species, becoming largely neglected and underutilised, extremely sporadically cultivated for food and feed, with almost no breeding strategies and often escaping from local agricultures into neighbouring wild flora. Still, numerous in situ and on-farm investigations confirm that L. cicera has a remarkable infraspecific diversity, which, along with the existing ex situ collections across the world, proves as a solid basis for its improvement and reintroduction. There are sufficient resources for both developing new advanced cultivars and maintaining the locally cultivated and maintained landraces. Lathyrus cicera has a considerable potential for producing more than 8 t ha-1 of forage dry matter (hay) and around 3.6 t ha-1 of dry grain, with a dry matter crude protein content in both surpassing 250 g kg-1 , for a substantial reduction of the content of neurotoxin oxalyldiaminopropionic acid (ODAP), an enhanced resistance to various stress factors, such as drought, low temperatures, powdery mildew, pseudomonas, rust or crenate broomrape, for a safe inclusion into human diets and animal feeding and for various environment-friendly uses. Equally important for reintroducing L. cicera is the promotion of the currently rather rare regional folk customs and gastronomic festivals devoted to this cultivated plant, such as the Sagra della maracucciata, regularly celebrating maracuoccio, as it is called in the Chilentan dialect, in the Camerotan hamlet of Lentiscosa, in southwest Italy, with thousands of visitors from elsewhere and for more than a decade. Keywords Archaeobotany Á Characterisation Á Crop improvement Á Ecogeography Á Evaluation Á Ex situ conservation Á Genetic resources Á In situ preservation Á Lathyrus cicera Á Maracuccio Á On-farm knowledge Á Neglected cultivated plants

2017

Introduction: Lathyrism, a crippling disease, has been reported in a number of countries. The agricultural record shows that the production of L.sativus has neither decreased nor appreciably increased and continue the same as it was 3 to 4 decades. While it not had been information on major outbreak of lathyrism in this period, however sporadic cases have been reported from time to time as per available previous data.In recent times, the problem has acquired new dimensions, which hold out possibilities of wider dissemination of the disease. It was probably true that the consumption of Lathyrus seeds had dropped during recent times, but this was probably because other crops like wheat, barley, lentils and Bengal gram had flourished. Material & Method: The current study was conducted during study period April 1980 to March 1982. In order to study the recent trends of lathyrism, the same area and technique have been adopted as were follow by Ganapathy & Dwivedi and Dwivedi and Prasad. ...

Neurolathyrism is past history in India since Lathyrus sativus (khesari dal) is no longer used as a staple. A consensus has evolved that khesari dal is harmless as part of a normal diet. L-ODAP (β-N-oxalyl-l-α-diamino propionic acid) the neurotoxic amino acid, from this pulse, is detoxified in humans but not in animals but still no laboratory animal is susceptible to it under acceptable feeding regimens. L-ODAP is an activator of protein kinase C and consequential crucial downstream effects such as stabilization of hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) could be extremely conducive to humans under a variety of situations. ODAP is gradually finding a place in several patents for this reason. Homoarginine the second amino acid from L. sativus can be a better substrate for endogenous generation of nitric oxide, a crucial signaling molecule associated with the cardiovasculature and control of hypertension. These features could make L. sativus a prized commodity as a functional food for the general cardiovasculature and overcome hypoxic events and is set to change the entire perception of this pulse and neurolathyrism. Neurolathyrism The disease neurolathyrism is now history and may never be a challenge in the future in view of the vast public awareness and governmental and infrastructural capabilities. The present review highlights the recent thoughts on this disease and how a certain dignity can be restored to Lathyrus sativus (Khesari dal also known as grass pea) which indeed has been a saviour for vast populations under severe drought and famine situations in several countries around the world. A causal relationship between the excessive consumption of L. sativus and neurolathyrism, an upper motor neuron disorder characterized by a spastic paraparesis of the lower limbs is well known since several decades 1. Neurolathyrism has always surfaced only during extreme situations such as famine and drought when other food crops are in short supply resulting in an exclusive consumption of the pulse almost as a staple for prolonged periods lasting as long as 3-6 months. The disease affects only a very small percentage of the population 2 and in its absence large

2000

Enneking D. 2000 An annotated bibliography for the genus Lathyrus. (Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture occasional publication no.17). Nedlands, WA: Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture; Aleppo, Syria: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas ix, 354p.. ISBN 9291270679 En Covers agricultural, botanical, chemical, biochemical and medicinal literature.

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 2004

Lathyrus sativus, locally known as Khesari, is a leguminous pulse crop grown in many parts of the world for food (used by poor people) and animal feed/fodder. Its seeds are rich in protein and energy but contains anti-nutritional factors prominent among which is β-N-Oxalylamino-L-Alanine (BOAA), a neurotoxin causing lathyrism in humans due to prolong consumption. Keeping in view the chemical characteristics of this toxin and literary facts on L. sativus feeding in terrestrial animals, it was hypothesized that aquatic species may better utilise this ingredient in mixed extruded diets. Diets were prepared with varying levels (0, 10, 18, 26 and 34%) of L. sativus seeds and fed for 60 days to study growth, body composition and digestibility of nutrients. Final body weight, specific growth rate and feed and protein conversion ratio did not differ (p>0.05) between treatments. Crude protein digestibility was reduced (p<0.01) beyond 26% inclusion level of L. sativus. Final carcass composition with regard to protein, lipid and ash did not differ (p>0.05) among the treatments. Comparable craniosomatic, viscerosomatic, renosomatic and hepatic indices and no mortality implies no apparent adverse effect on the vital organs and fish health. It was concluded that L. sativus can be a promising feed ingredient that can be used up to 34% or possibly higher level in fingerlings diet. To our knowledge, it appears to be the first report of its kind under laboratory conditions. (Asian-Aust.

Euphytica, 2006

Several Lathyrus species and in particular Lathyrus sativus (grass pea) have great agronomic potential as grain and forage legume, especially in drought conditions. Grass pea is rightly considered as one of the most promising sources of calories and protein for the vast and expanding populations of drought-prone and marginal areas of Asia and Africa. It is virtually the only species that can yield high protein food and feed under these conditions. It is superior in yield, protein value, nitrogen fixation, and drought, flood and salinity tolerance than other legume crops. Lathyrus species have a considerable potential in crop rotation, improving soil physical conditions; reducing the amount of disease and weed populations, with the overall reduction of production costs. Grass pea was already in use in Neolithic times, and presently is considered as a model crop for sustainable agriculture. As a result of the little breeding effort invested in it compared to other legumes, grass pea cultivation has shown a regressive pattern in many areas in recent decades. This is due to variable yield caused by sensitivity to diseases and stress factors and above all, to the presence of the neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP), increasing the danger of genetic erosion. However, both L. sativus and L. cicera are gaining interest as grain legume crops in Mediterranean-type environments and production is increasing in Ethiopia, China, Australia and several European countries.

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2013

The genetic diversity of the genus Lathyrus is of significant importance, particularly for its role in sustaining the livelihoods of local communities living under very harsh conditions and its potential to adapt to climate change. Grasspea (L. sativus) is the most widely used species and to a lesser extent L. cicera and L. ochrus, each is used for animal feed in many parts of the world and food in poorer regions, but human over-consumption of the seeds can lead to lathyrism, a disease caused by neurotoxins. This study has added substantial information and accuracy to the existing global Lathyrus database by combining diverse datasets and by adding information of major herbaria from Europe. This global Lathyrus database, available at ICARDA, was used to conduct gap analysis to guide future collecting missions and in situ conservation efforts for highest priority species originating from the Mediterranean Basin, and Caucasus, Central and West Asia region. The results showed the highest concentration of Lathyrus priority species are found in the Fertile Crescent countries, France, Italy and Greece. The area either side of the Lebanese/Syrian border near Tel Kalakh, Syria was identified as the hotspot and the overall priority location for establishing the first in situ genetic reserve. The gap analysis for ex situ conservation shows that only six species (representing 16.6 %) of the 36 priority species are adequately sampled. Only L. cicera has already been well sampled among the closely related species to cultivated species L. sativus, indicating further collecting of L.