Yes, the cotton plant is not just a source for clothing material.  It’s now a source for food—for humans, that is.  Cottonseed typically contains about 22 or 23 percent protein—and it’s a very high-quality protein.  For every half a kilogram (kg) of cotton fiber, the plant produces around 0.73 kg of seeds.  And the supply abounds—cotton is grown in 80 countries, which produce 44 million metric tons of cottonseed each year.  The cottonseeds are pressed for oil, and the remaining meal usually goes into animal feed.

Poisonous No More

Cottonseeds, in their natural state, contain a toxic compound called gossypol.  The chemical is present naturally with the glands in the above-ground parts of the cotton plant.  This has prevented the high-protein seed from being eaten by people.  When eaten by humans, gossypol can damage the heart and liver.

But now, everything has changed for the cottonseed.  Scientists at Texas A&M University in the United States found a way to remove gossypol from cottonseed to a level that is considered safe for consumption.  With the toxic gossypol removed, the cottonseed meal can be ground into flour and made into bread and other food, a significant step that could feed and provide valuable protein potentially to half a billion people a year.

This is particularly good news for regions such as West Africa, where many small farmers grow cotton as a cash crop.  Now they could use the seed to feed themselves and their livestock.

“It actually tastes pretty good.  It reminds me of chickpea.  It’s a firmly good-tasting seed.  It tasted better than soybeans,”  said Dr. Keerti Rathore, a plant biotechnologist at the Texas Agricultural Experimental Station.

Source

► http://www.ingredients101.com/cottonmeal.htm

►Modified cottonseed could feed people. http://www.com/206/TECH/science/11/20/cotton.see.ap/index.html?eref=rss_space

► Cottonseed, Genetically Engineered to be Edible, http://news.softpedia.com/news/Eating-Cottonseed-40661.shtml

Photo courtesy:  indiabizclub