▁of ▁cultiv ated ▁plants . ▁ ▁S ap on ins ▁and ▁ox al ic ▁acid ▁In ▁their ▁natural ▁state , ▁the ▁se eds ▁have ▁a ▁co ating ▁which ▁contains ▁bitter - t ast ing ▁sap on ins , ▁making ▁them ▁un pal atable . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁gra in ▁sold ▁commer cially ▁has ▁been ▁processed ▁to ▁remove ▁this ▁co ating . ▁This ▁bit tern ess ▁has ▁benef icial ▁effects ▁during ▁cultiv ation , ▁as ▁it ▁det ers ▁birds ▁and ▁therefore , ▁the ▁plant ▁requires ▁minimal ▁protection . ▁The ▁gen etic ▁control ▁of ▁bit tern ess ▁involves ▁quant itative ▁inheritance . ▁Although ▁lower ing ▁the ▁sap on in ▁content ▁through ▁select ive ▁bre eding ▁to ▁produce ▁swe eter , ▁more ▁pal atable ▁vari eties ▁is ▁complicated ▁by ▁ ≈ 1 0 % ▁cross - pol lin ation , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁goal ▁of ▁qu ino a ▁bre eding ▁programs , ▁which ▁may ▁include ▁gen etic ▁engineering . ▁ ▁The ▁to x icity ▁category ▁rating ▁of ▁the ▁sap on ins ▁in ▁qu ino a ▁tre ats ▁them ▁as ▁m ild ▁eye ▁and ▁resp ir atory ▁ir rit ants ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁low ▁g astro int est inal ▁ir rit ant . ▁In ▁South ▁America , ▁the ▁sap on ins ▁have ▁many ▁uses , ▁including ▁their ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁d eter gent ▁for ▁cl othing ▁and ▁was hing , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁folk ▁medicine ▁ant ise ptic ▁for ▁skin ▁inj uries . ▁ ▁Additionally , ▁high ▁levels ▁of ▁ox al ic ▁acid ▁are ▁in ▁the