Cottonseed

Cottonseed is the seed of the cotton plant, produced inside the cotton boll alongside the fiber the plant is grown for, and yields two main commercial products after processing: cottonseed oil and cottonseed meal. Whole cottonseed has served as a protein source in regions with major cotton cultivation, but it naturally contains gossypol, a toxic compound found throughout the plant that limits its safe use as a direct food. Ongoing plant breeding efforts aim to reduce gossypol levels in cottonseed to make it safer for direct human and animal consumption, particularly in cotton-growing communities in developing regions.