Hydrolysis of the toxic constituents (vicine and convicine) in fababean (Vicia faba L.) food preparations following treatment with β‐glucosidase

Abstract

AbstractSeveral experiments were carried out to determine whether the concentrations of vicine and convicine in fababean food preparations were reduced following heat and β‐glucosidase treatment. Heating fababeans to relatively high temperatures was not effective in reducing the concentration of these glycosides. Treatment of cooked fababeans (fababean paste) with ground raw almond powder, which is a rich source of β‐glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) activity, resulted in the hydrolysis of vicine and convicine. The degree of hydrolysis ranged from partial to complete and was dependent on the duration of the treatment period (1 to 24 h), the temperature at which treatment was carried out (1 to 30°C), the pH (6.4 to 4.6) as adjusted by the addition of lemon juice and the amount of ground almonds added to the fababean paste. For example, 88 to 89% of the glycosides were hydrolysed when 1 g of fababean paste was mixed with 0.1 g of almond powder and 0.1 ml of lemon juice and incubated at 30°C for 3 h. This study demonstrated that the concentration of vicine and convicine and their corresponding aglycones can be greatly reduced in fababean food preparations by enzymic hydrolysis.