Lucerne Leaf Concentrate
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page : 1 Association for the Promotion of Leaf Concentrate in Nutrition (ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION DES EXTRAITS FOLIAIRES EN NUTRITION – « APEF ») 8, Rue d’Athènes – 75009 PARIS A NEW NUTRITIONAL IDEA FOR MAN : LUCERNE LEAF CONCENTRATE Dr. V. ZANIN, October 1998 In collaboration with : Pr. Ph. BOUCHET (UFR de Pharmacie de REIMS), Pr. H. CHOISY (CHU de REIMS), Pr. J.C. DILLON (Institut des Cordeliers de PARIS), de Mrs E. HENNEQUIN (CAVISA), du Dr. E. KARIGER (CHU de REIMS), du Dr. C. RECCHIA (Nutrionist), de Mr Eric SEILER (FRANCE LUZERNE ), de Mr. B. THAREL (Plant Selection). And : Mrs I. GASTINEAU, Mr. R. DOUILLARD, Mr. O. de MATHAN, Mr. J.M. MOJON, APEF members and Mr J. SUBTIL, APEF President {English Translation by M.N.G. DAVYS, formerly of Rothamsted Experimental Station} page : 2 Prologue Page 4 Introduction Page 5 CHAPTER I : Lucerne Page 6 1. Origin and genetics Page 6 1.1. History Page 6 1.2. Genetics of lucerne Page 6 1.2.1. Species Page 6 Medicago sativa Medicago falcata Hybrids (varia) 1.2.2. Varieties grown in France Page 6 Type Provence Type Flamand 2. Culture of lucerne Page 6 2.1. Environmental requirements Page 6 Soil Page 6 Temperature Page 6 Water Page 7 Light Page 7 2.2. Growth Page 7 2.3. Treatments Page 7 Herbicides Page 7 Insecticides Page 7 Seed treatment Page 7 2.4. Environmental impact of lucerne culture Page 7 2.4.1. Lucerne as an ecological plant Page 7 2.4.2. Mineralization Page 7 3. Harvest and conservation of lucerne Page 7 Forage Page 7 Grazing Page 7 Silage Page 8 Hay Page 8 Haylage and baling Page 8 Drying Page 8 Chapter II : Lucerne leaf concentrate Page 8 1. Industrial process Page 9 1.1. Pulping and pressing Page 10 1.2. Heat coagulation of proteins Page 10 1.3. Separation of coagulum Page 10 1.4. Drying and storage Page 10 1.5. By-product usage Page 10 1.6. Uniformity of leaf concentrate Page 10 1.7. Simplified small scale process – village units Page 11 Chapter III : Animal feeding trials Page 11 Chapter IV : Composition of lucerne leaf concentrate Page 12 1. Nutritional composition Page 12 1.1. Protein and micronutrient composition Page 12 1.2. Lipids Page 14 1.2.1. Fatty acids Page 14 1.2.2. Pigments Page 14 1.2.3. Sterols Page 14 1.2.4. Quinones Page 14 1.3. Carbohydrates Page 15 1.4. Fibre Page 15 1.5. Vitamins Page 15 page : 3 1.6. Minerals Page 16 1.7. Energy value Page 17 1.8. Variability of results Page 17 2. Toxins and anti-nutritional factors (analysis) Page 18 2.1. Heavy metals and pesticides residues Page 18 2.2. Naturally occuring anti-nutritional factors Page 18 2.2.1. Saponins Page 18 2.2.2. Polyphenols Page 18 2.3. Microbiology Page 19 2.4. Leaf Concentrate from other species of plants Page 20 Chapter V : Human feeding trials Page 20 1. Voluntary organizations fighting malnutrition Page 20 1.1. Find Your Feet (Leaf For Life) Page 20 1.2. APEF Page 21 2. Methodology and results Page 21 2.1. Effect on anaemia Page 22 2.2. Effect on Vitamin A deficiency Page 23 2.3. Leaf Concentrate and mental development Page 24 2.4. Acceptability Page 24 2.5. Undesirable side effects Page 24 Chapter VI : Results and discussion Page 24 1. Results Page 24 2. Development strategy Page 25 2.1. Nutrition study of Leaf Concentrate Page 25 2.1.1. Confirmation of efficacy of Leaf Concentrate Page 25 2.1.2. Scientific validation of feeding trials Page 25 2.2. Leaf Concentrate in developing countries Page 26 2.2.1. Village units Page 26 2.2.2. Industrial units Page 26 2.3. Production of Leaf Concentrate in France Page 27 2.3.1. Promotion of Leaf concentrate and development of market Page 27 2.3.2. Emergency intervention Page 27 2.3.3. Palliative intervention Page 27 2.3.4. Outlook for the French Industry Page 27 Summary of conclusions Page 27 ANNEX I Individuals in the medical and scientific fields who support the project Page 29 ANNEX II Analytical methods Page 31 ANNEX III References Page 32 List of Tables : Schematic diagrams of industrial and « village » processes Page 9 Table 1. composition of Lucerne Leaf Concentrate Page 12 Table 2. Amino acid composition of Leaf Concentrate compared with those of eggs and wheat Page 13 Table 3. Content and characteristics of principal vitamins present in Lucerne Leaf Concentrate Page 15 Table 4. Function and content of minerals in Lucerne Leaf Concentrate Page 16 Table 5. Comparative study of the composition of samples of Lucerne Leaf Concentrate produced from 1992-1996 (analysis in 1997 after storage in open sacks) Page 17 Table 6. Results of bacteriological analyses, 18/02/93, of coarsely ground PX and of samples from the seasons of 1996/1997 and 1997/1998 Page 19 Table 7. Nutritional content of 10 g Lucerne Leaf Concentrate Page 21 page : 4 PROLOGUE Jacques SUBTIL (Chairman, APEF) In the late 1970’s, some officers of the agricultural co-operative FRANCE LUZERNE (which specializes in forage drying) realized that one of their products, a concentrate made from lucerne leaves, could be suitable for human consumption, given some modification of the extraction process. In 1993, they formed « l’Association pour la Promotion des Extraits Foliaires en Nutrition (APEF), a non-profit association, in order to study, put into practice, evaluate and develop this innovation. It consists of extracting the most valuable nutritive components (proteins, vitamins & trace elements) of lucerne or other green vegetation and then using them as a dried, digestible concentrate to supplement the basic diet of malnourisched people. Several feeding trials of lucerne leaf concentrate used in this way (for children, from 6 months-6 years old ; pregnant and lactating women ; the elderly) have been successfully carried out in Romania, China and Nicaragua. The first results confirm the nutritional worth of this concentrate : used at low dosage (6-10 g/day) it effectively corrects dietary deficiencies, improves individuals’health and children’s development. At the same time, it helps avert certain diseases associated with malnutrition, in particular anaemia, diarrhoea, respiratory infections and nutritional blindness (xerophthalmia). We knew, too, that an English Charity (Find Your Feet) had pioneered, in several countries of Asia and Latin America, centres of protein extraction from local green vegetation in simplified form. In spite of their crudity, their products had already brought very satisfactory results reported in several medical journals. This new idea for a nutritional supplement seems more and more to be one which might supply an efficacious long-term solution to the dietary imbalance for families and populations in difficulty. Thanks to their richness, notably in lysine, tryptophan, iron, calcium and vitamins, leaf concentrates restore the balance of diets based on seeds. They improve growth and resistance to disease. In very young children they allow normal development of the brain and thus safeguard the ability to benefit from education and so improve the chance of a better life. Moreover, they are an alternative to those foods of animal origin or of the fruits and vegetables generally missing from the diets of the impoverished for they are : ° Relatively easy to make, distribute and use, ° Very cheap : 30 FF/children/year (price in France), ° Of exceptional nutritive value, ° Reproducible world-wide and ° Dependant only on the enormous and inexhaustible supplies of leaf. Leaf concentrate thus shows itself to be a novel food of great significance to man. It merits special attention and official recognition in the medical world and by the Ministry of Food. page : 5 INTRODUCTION In tribute to the late Professor Henri LESTRADET, a strong supporter of the project, who wrote, shortly before his death, the following : « More than half the world’s population sees its health, even its survival, threatened by serious nutritional deficiencies : Protein deficiency, with or without calory deficiency, at the root of problems of growth and immunity, Vitamin A deficiency affects more than 10 million children, causing half the blindness in the world. Hypovitaminosis A is defined by WHO as the second priority after protein and caloric malnutrition, Iron deficiency, even more widespread, since according to UNICEF 500 million children suffer chronic anaemia with its accompanying immunity problems and hindrance to physical and mental growth. For decades, WHO has had a programme for fighting these 3 deficiencies but while the need is great the cost is high.Food Aid, which can come only from rich countries, can never supply all that is needed. Moreover it can be but a palliative, for the final solution lies, of course, in nutritional self sufficiency. Now, for several years English researchers have investigated a new way of producing protein, vitamin A, iron and calcium. This is from vegetable sources as yet unexploited but present in enormous quantity where rainfall is sufficient, namely the leaves of plants which man has not hitherto known how to turn to good account. In fact, only after an extraction that releases from the cellulosic membrane the protein, vitamin A and iron (plus calcium, magnesium and folic acid) do they become easily absorbed by the human digestive system. The necessary extraction can certainly be done industrially at relatively low cost, but it can equally be done with simple equipment that is easy, at least in theory, to set up. Preliminary studies have been made with apparently interesting results. These need, of course, to be followed up scientifically, looking at the problems of the acceptability of these leaf products (industrial or artisanal) with regard for culinary and cultural customs, especially with children in mind.