Potential of Borneo indigenous seed (Kop nut) as a new source of food product

New food sources are vital due to global challenges such as population growth, climate change, and scarcity of food resources. An indigenous plant seed known as kop nut among the local of Dayak’s community in Sarawak Borneo has a commercial prospect for a new food product. This plant is belong to Euphorbiacea family, which are common with it plant seed toxin. Natural toxins are usually present in plants, but the potential toxins can be eliminated by employing a proper and suitable treatment. Here, the aim is to eradicate the seed toxicity and to establish a new food source. Heat treatment of wet or dry heat was applied to the seed. Later, the possible toxin present in the treated kop nut was examined using brine shrimps lethality assay (BSLA), a tiny Crustacean of an Artemia. This is crucial for acertaining that the seed is non-toxic, safe and suitable for consumption. Subsequently, a preliminary of possible prospect market of this seed among local consumer through sensory evaluation on the preference regarding taste, aroma and its suitability as nut-bean product was obtained. Result demonstrated the toxin was eliminated and no toxic effects until the maximum experimental concentration of 1g/ml when seed was treated at 100°C for 30 minutes. Sensory test demonstrated the consumer (n=30) preference on the high scale (7-9) for taste was 93.33%, aroma was 70% and suitability as a nut-bean product was 80%, thus supporting the potential of this seed for commercial nut. This shall be the first scientific evidence after validating the traditional knowledge in treating the seed plant, then sensorial attributes for possible market potential as a nut-bean product. Kop nut may not only served as a new source of food product in food industry, but may also served to others like pharmaceutitical and cosmetic industries.