Plukenetia volubilis
Encyclopedia
Plukenetia volubilis, commonly known as Sacha Inchi, Sacha Peanut, Mountain Peanut or Inca-Peanut, is a perennial plant
with somewhat hairy leaves, in the Euphorbiaceae
. It is native to the Amazon Rainforest
, where it has been cultivated by indigenous people for centuries, and will grow in warm climates up to altitudes of 1,700 meters (5,500 feet) as long as there continued availability of water and good drainage. It grows better in acidic soils, frank and alluvial flats near rivers.
The plant reaches a height of 2 m (6' 6"), with alternate, heart shaped, serrated leaves, 10 to 12 cm long (4"-4.7") and 8 to 10 cm (3.1-3.9") wide, that have petioles 2–6 cm (0.8-2.3") long. It flowers five months after being planted, and bears seeds around the eighth month. The male flowers are small, white, and arranged in clusters. Two female flowers are located at the base of the inflorescence.
The fruits are capsules of 3 to 5 cm in diameter with 4 to 7 points, are green and ripen blackish brown. It usually consists of four lobes, but some may have up to seven. Inside are the seeds, oval, dark-brown, 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter and 45 to 100 grams of weight. The cotyledons are open, similar to those of almonds, and covered with a whitish film.
The seeds of Inchi have high protein (27%) and oil (35 - 60%) content. Its oil is one of the largest plant sources of the Omega family of fatty acids, an essential for human life. It contains Omega 3 (48%), Omega 6 (36%), Omega 9 (9%), and protein
(27%). They are also rich in iodine
and vitamin A
and vitamin E
.
and is gaining international recognition for its taste and health properties. In June 2007, Sacha Inchi oil won the Médaille d'or (Gold Medal) at the AVPA Specialty Foods Commodities competition. Sacha Inchi has been called a super food because of its high content of essential fatty acids. The oil has a mild flavour, not bitter, with a nutty finish. With new research emphasizing the health benefits of Omega fatty acids, interest in sustainable sources of Omega is increasing. Sacha Inchi oil is used in vegetarian diets to provide a plant source for Omega-3 fatty acid
s.
Humanitarian group Oxfam
and a group called SEPAR are collaborating to develop techniques for growing Sacha Inchi. Used as a cash crop
, Sacha Inchi is bringing money to rural areas and allowing indigenous groups like the Ashaninka
to stay in villages.
Also, the Sacha Inchi seed has been marketed under the name SaviSeed as a health food snack due to its high concentration of Omega-3 and complete proteins.
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
with somewhat hairy leaves, in the Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
. It is native to the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
, where it has been cultivated by indigenous people for centuries, and will grow in warm climates up to altitudes of 1,700 meters (5,500 feet) as long as there continued availability of water and good drainage. It grows better in acidic soils, frank and alluvial flats near rivers.
The plant reaches a height of 2 m (6' 6"), with alternate, heart shaped, serrated leaves, 10 to 12 cm long (4"-4.7") and 8 to 10 cm (3.1-3.9") wide, that have petioles 2–6 cm (0.8-2.3") long. It flowers five months after being planted, and bears seeds around the eighth month. The male flowers are small, white, and arranged in clusters. Two female flowers are located at the base of the inflorescence.
The fruits are capsules of 3 to 5 cm in diameter with 4 to 7 points, are green and ripen blackish brown. It usually consists of four lobes, but some may have up to seven. Inside are the seeds, oval, dark-brown, 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter and 45 to 100 grams of weight. The cotyledons are open, similar to those of almonds, and covered with a whitish film.
The seeds of Inchi have high protein (27%) and oil (35 - 60%) content. Its oil is one of the largest plant sources of the Omega family of fatty acids, an essential for human life. It contains Omega 3 (48%), Omega 6 (36%), Omega 9 (9%), and protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
(27%). They are also rich in iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
and vitamin A
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is necessary for both low-light and color vision...
and vitamin E
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is used to refer to a group of fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols. There are many different forms of vitamin E, of which γ-tocopherol is the most common in the North American diet. γ-Tocopherol can be found in corn oil, soybean oil, margarine and dressings...
.
Modern uses
Sacha Inchi oil production is increasing in the Peruvian AmazonPeruvian Amazon
The Peruvian Amazon is the area of the Amazon jungle included in the territory of Peru, from the east of the Andes to borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia. This region comprises 60% of the country and is marked by a large degree of biodiversity...
and is gaining international recognition for its taste and health properties. In June 2007, Sacha Inchi oil won the Médaille d'or (Gold Medal) at the AVPA Specialty Foods Commodities competition. Sacha Inchi has been called a super food because of its high content of essential fatty acids. The oil has a mild flavour, not bitter, with a nutty finish. With new research emphasizing the health benefits of Omega fatty acids, interest in sustainable sources of Omega is increasing. Sacha Inchi oil is used in vegetarian diets to provide a plant source for Omega-3 fatty acid
Omega-3 fatty acid
N−3 fatty acids are essential unsaturated fatty acids with a double bond starting after the third carbon atom from the end of the carbon chain....
s.
Humanitarian group Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
and a group called SEPAR are collaborating to develop techniques for growing Sacha Inchi. Used as a cash crop
Cash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
, Sacha Inchi is bringing money to rural areas and allowing indigenous groups like the Ashaninka
Asháninka
The Asháninka or Asháninca are an indigenous people living in the rainforests of Peru and in the State of Acre Brazil....
to stay in villages.
Also, the Sacha Inchi seed has been marketed under the name SaviSeed as a health food snack due to its high concentration of Omega-3 and complete proteins.
External links
- Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis, Euphorbiaceae): A Promising Oilseed Crop from Peruvian Amazon
- Biodiversity International: Species Database
- USDA Agricultural Research Service Taxonomy
- http://internt.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/projects/linnaean-typification/detail.dsml?ID=685600&listPageURL=list%2edsml%3fVarqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26CVarqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26CGenusqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26CSpeciesqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26Species%3dvolubilis%26sort%3dGenus%252cSpecies%26Speciesqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26Genus%3dPlukenetia%26Genusqtype%3dstarts%2bwith%26CSspqtype%3dstarts%2bwithThe Linnaean Plant Name Typification Project]
- Guillen D. Maria, et al. "Characterization of Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubi L.) by FTIR Spectroscopy and 1H NMR. Comparison with Linseed Oil." Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 2003.