The effect of soaking and roasting velvet beans (Mucuna pruriens) on nitrogen utilization and rumen microbial protein synthesis in goats was investigated. Sixteen goats were randomly assigned to four diets in a completely randomized design. Goats were fed a basal diet of Cynodon dactylon hay plus 30% soaked (treatment 1), 30% roasted (treatment 2) and 30% untreated velvet bean (treatment 3). Th...

The effects of the commonly used processing techniques of soaking (at different pH values) and cooking on the digestive and nutritive utilization of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium from common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were studied. Before the cooking step, the beans were soaked in solutions of acid (2.6 and 5.3) or basic (8.4) pH. Chemical and biological methods were used to determine n...

Singh, S. P., Molina, A. and Gepts, P. 1995. Potcntial of wild coInmon bean for seed yield improvement of culdvars in the tropics. Can. J. Plant Sci. 75: 807-813. Thirty nine wild or weedy common bem (Plaseolus vulgarisL.) accessions, representing the two extremes of geographical range of distribution and domestication of cultigens in the Americas, were crossed to a highyielding, small-seeded c...

A 8 month-old infant presented with acute onset of severe jaundice, anemia requiring transfusion and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency. The infant did not take drugs, he did not consume fava beans, but fava beans DNA was found on pumpkin he consumed the day before jaundice onset. This is the first case of hemolysis triggered by ingestion of food cross-contaminated with fava beans.

A wide array of molecular markers has been used to investigate the genetic diversity among common bean species. However, the best combination of markers for studying such diversity among common bean cultivars has yet to be determined. Few reports have examined the genetic diversity of the carioca bean, commercially one of the most important common beans in Brazil. In this study, we examined the...

Extrinsic and intrinsic iron and zinc labels were used to test iron and zinc absorption from two bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) genotypes, containing normal (common beans, CB) or higher (HFeZnB) iron and zinc concentrations, fed in single meals to young women with low iron reserves. The women were divided into two groups, with one receiving a CB test meal (n = 12) and the other, an HFeZnB test meal ...

Background: Faba bean toxicity (favism) is a common condition observed in our region. Objective: To develop a short and simple technique involving the use of riboflavin-deficient rats to test in vivo faba bean toxicity. Methods/Results: Sprague Dawley rats were maintained on a riboflavin-deficient diet and their vitamin B2 status was monitored by the assay of erythrocyte glutathione reductase (...

Much of what we know today on the molecular aspects of seed development comes from basic studies carried out in the model species Arabidopsis. However, many differences exist between the developmental programs of the small seeds of Arabidopsis, basically without nutritional reserves, and the crop legume seeds, which are bigger and accumulate nutrients designated to germination. Since seed nutri...

BACKGROUND According to the World Health Organization (WHO), iron, iodine, and Vitamin A deficiencies are the most common forms of malnutrition, leading to severe public health consequences. The importance of iron and zinc in human nutrition and the number of children found to be deficient in these nutrients make further studies on retention in cooked grains and cooked bean broth important. O...