Quantitative analysis of vicine and convicine in faba bean–based materials
Abstract
Vicine and convicine are compounds mainly found in the faba bean, a legume plant from the Fabaceae family that grows in various climates. These two compounds are predominantly present in the cotyledons of faba beans, constituting about 1% of dry matter (Purves et al., 2018). Vicine and convicine are precursors of the aglycones divicine and isouramil (Crépon et al., 2010), which may trigger hemolysis after ingestion in people who suffer from favism, a genetic deficiency of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme (Arese et al., 1981). The severity of hemolysis can vary based on the specific mutation, resulting in milder symptoms
Fields of Study & Subjects
Food and Agricultural Sciences
Genetic and Environmental Crop Studies
Plant Toxicity and Pharmacological Properties
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Leuven University Press eBooks
- Pages
- 229–236
- Publication date
- 10 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter