Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is an annual food, feed and fodder crop cultivated in temperate regions of Asia, Europe, America and East Africa. This pulse has several advantageous traits such as: high yielding, nitrogen fixation, extensive tolerance of drought and water-logging, adaptation to a wide range of soil types, resistance to insects and pests. Grass pea is a popular source of vegetable proteins in subsistence farming systems, mainly in some developing countries. However, an extensive use for food and manufacturing feedstock is limited by the presence in seeds of appreciable quantities of beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminoproprionic acid (beta-ODAP), in addition to other antinutritional factors typical of pulses (i.e.: digestive enzyme inhibitors, lectins, phytic acid, etc.). ODAP is a non protein amino acid associated with neurolathyrism, a neurological disorder that manifests in humans and animals when grass pea seeds became a staple food for long periods. As a consequence of the reputed grain toxicity, a significant drop of grass pea cultivation took place in the second half of 20th century at worldwide level. Presently, it is considered a model for sustainable agriculture, so efforts are underway for the reintroduction in North and Latin America, Australia and Southern Europe. The aim of these initiatives is to counter the effect of climate change on agricultural productivity and to provide an alternative crop in the soils overexploited by continuous cereal cultivation. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the most recent literature dealing with nutritional and nutraceutical quality of grass pea seeds.
