I fattori antinutrizionali del favino

The interest of European breeders for Vicia Faba var. Minor is increasing in the last years. This is mostly ascribing to good nutritive value of Faba beans and to band to employment of genetically modified soy bean and its by products in organic production. But the Vicia Faba containing some antinutritional factors that can generate also severe metabolic and digestive disorders in farm animal for high levels of feeding. The aim of the present paper was to resume the structure and the synthesis pathways of this compounds and to review their biological effects. Because some of this factors are not destroyed by heating, use of faba beans are strongly depending upon animal specie and level of employment. In addition the content of some antinutritional factors, e.g. glucosides, is changeable depending by seed variety and environmental conditions so that it is not easy to define sure levels of atoxicity. This is also more difficult in poultry that are the most sensitive animals to the effect of glucosides.