Vicine

Vicine is an alkaloid glycoside found in fava beans. Vicine is toxic, causing the disease favism, in individuals who have a hereditary loss of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Divicine is the name of the aglycone of vicine. Fava beans also contain the related 6-hydroxy- alkaloid glycoside covicine, whose aglycone is isouramil.

Vicine was first isolated by Heinrich Ritthausen. Classified as a pyrimidine, its structure and that of divicine has been described. The formation in Vicia Faba of vicine and covicine has been investigated.