Favism‐inducing toxins in broad beans ( Vicia faba ). Determination of vicine content and investigation of other non‐protein nitrogenous compounds in different broad bean cultivars

Vicine contents of seed coats and cotyledons of 58 cultivars of broad beans are reported. Seed coats contained up to 0.07% and cotyledons between 0.23 and 0.61 % a vicine. Non‐protein nitrogenous compounds in broad beans were analysed by thin‐layer chromatography. Five compounds other than vicine were isolated from broad bean extracts. These are, in order of increasing R F value, FLG, B 1 , D 1 , B 2 and D 2 . The possibility of existence of these compounds in different cultivars was investigated. Their ultra‐violet absorption spectra in three different pH conditions are reported.