Favism: Current Problems and Investigations

Abstract

Summary. Haemolytic favism is a severe, acute anaemia which occurs in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient individuals, usually following the ingestion of Vicia faba seeds. Current interest is focused on the nature of the active substances of Vicia faba and on the causes of the varying susceptibility among G6PD-deficient individuals to episodes of severe haemolysis.The results of experiments in vitro favour the hypothesis that Vicia faba contains several active substances which may act in a synergistic way.Red cell acid phosphatase and thalassaemia genes appear to play a remarkable role in conditioning the susceptibility to severe haemolysis in G6PD-deficient subjects.In addition to erythrocyte enzymes and to enzymes which intervene in the absorption and metabolism of the active substances of Vicia faba, another field for future investigations may be that of plasma factors which influence the stability of reduced glutathione in the red cells.

Purification and some properties of vicine and convicine isolated from faba bean (Vicia faba L.) protein concentrate

“…Favism is a metabolic disease that causes hemolytic anemia in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient individuals that have consumed faba beans. This disease constitutes a major health problem in countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Italy, and Greece (Belsey, 1973;Bottini, 1973).…”

Common Vetch: A Drought Tolerant, High Protein Neglected Leguminous Crop With Potential as a Sustainable Food Source

“…Most modern common vetch cultivars are vicianine free. Vicine and convicine are well-studied in faba bean, and in humans cause the potentially fatal disease favism (Bottini, 1973). Vicine and convicine are hydrolysed by native β-glucosidases in the cotyledons of seeds to form divicine and isouramil and when consumed by humans can cause oxidation of glutathione in red blood cells.…”

Symbolic meaning and use of broad beans in traditional foods of the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East

“…V. faba seeds contain also specific glycosides, namely vicine and convicine [8], which are implicated in favism, a hemolytic anemia occurring in people carrying a genetic deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) [23]. These glycosides can be greatly reduced by soaking the seeds [24] and by thermal processing, such as boiling, roasting, microwaving, and frying [25,26], as well as by fermentation [27].…”