Quantification of vicine and convicine in faba bean seeds using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) provides environmental and health benefits; however, the presence of the pyrimidine glycosides vicine and convicine (v-c) in its seeds limits consumption. Low v-c genotypes have been introduced, but the convicine levels in these genotypes have not been quantified. To improve detection, the polar nature of v-c was exploited by implementing hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). A sample preparation method using a two-step extraction was developed for use with UV and/or tandem mass spectrometry (SRM) detection. The HILIC-UV method was suitable for over three orders of magnitude, covering the range of v-c concentrations in faba bean seeds across all genotypes tested. The linear range of HILIC-SRM was slightly less (∼3 orders of magnitude), but improved sensitivity and selectivity make it more suitable for quantifying low v-c samples. The analysis of 13 genotypes suggests that v-c concentrations in faba bean seeds may be independent quantitative traits.