Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Planta. 2020 Mar 17;251(4):80. doi: 10.1007/s00425-020-03377-3.
The underutilized, oleaginous crop Plukenetia volubilis L. has a remarkable lipid composition and a large potential for further domestication, alleviation of malnutrition, and integration into sustainable food production systems. Current global challenges include climate change, increasing population size, lack of food security, malnutrition, and degradation of arable lands. In this context, a reformation of our food production systems is imperative. Underutilized crops, or orphan crops, can provide valuable traits for this purpose, e.g., climate change resilience, nutritional benefits, cultivability on marginal lands, and improvement of income opportunities for smallholders. Plukenetia volubilis L. (Euphorbiaceae)-sacha inchi-is a 'lost crop' of the Incas native to the Amazon basin. Its oleaginous seeds are large, with a high content of ω-3, and -6 fatty acids (ca. 50.5, and 34.1%, of the lipid fraction, respectively), protein, and antioxidants. Culinarily, the seeds are nut-like and the crop has been associated with humans since Incan times. Research has particularly been undertaken in seed biochemistry, and to some extent in phylogeny, genetics, and cultivation ecology, but attention has been unevenly distributed, causing knowledge gaps in areas such as ethnobotany, allergenicity, and sustainable cultivation practices. Recently, seed size evolution and molecular drivers of the fatty acid synthesis and composition have been studied, however, further research into the lipid biosynthesis is desirable. Targeted breeding has not been undertaken but might be especially relevant for yield, sensory qualities, and cultivation with low environmental impact. Similarly, studies of integration into sustainable management systems are of highest importance. Here, present knowledge on P. volubilis is reviewed and a general framework for conducting research on underutilized crops with the aim of integration into sustainable food production systems is presented.
未充分利用的油脂作物麻疯树（Plukenetia volubilis L.）具有显著的脂质组成，并且具有进一步驯化、缓解营养不良、以及整合到可持续粮食生产系统中的巨大潜力。当前的全球挑战包括气候变化、人口增长、粮食安全缺乏、营养不良和耕地退化。在这种情况下，我们的粮食生产系统必须进行改革。未充分利用的作物，或孤儿作物，可以为此提供有价值的特性，例如，对气候变化的适应能力、营养益处、在边缘土地上的可耕性，以及提高小农的收入机会。麻疯树（Euphorbiaceae）-芝麻菜，是亚马逊流域的印加人本土的“失落作物”。其油性种子较大，ω-3 和 ω-6 脂肪酸含量较高（分别约占脂质部分的 50.5%和 34.1%），还富含蛋白质和抗氧化剂。从烹饪的角度来看，这种种子像坚果，该作物自印加时代以来就与人类有关。研究主要集中在种子生物化学方面，在一定程度上还集中在系统发育、遗传学和栽培生态学方面，但注意力分布不均，导致在民族植物学、过敏性和可持续栽培实践等领域存在知识空白。最近，人们研究了种子大小的进化以及脂肪酸合成和组成的分子驱动因素，但仍需要进一步研究脂质生物合成。尚未进行定向育种，但对于产量、感官品质和低环境影响的栽培可能特别相关。同样，对纳入可持续管理系统的研究也非常重要。本文综述了麻疯树的现有知识，并提出了一个一般性框架，用于对未充分利用的作物进行研究，旨在将其纳入可持续粮食生产系统。
