ChileanJAR

The present experiment was conducted to determine the hydrogen cyanide content in twenty different variedties of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and experimental lines under investigation at the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Estación Experimental La Platina, Santiago.
The amount of hydrogen cyanide was evaluated according to the AOAC methods and some modifications were added.
The values of hydrogen cyanide obtained correspond to the amount of this acid released in the hydrolysis of certain compounds present in bean seeds, and were expresed in parts per million (mg of HCN/1,000 g of dry matter).
The results obtained indicated that some varieties had statistically significant higher content of hydrogen cyanide than others, but the low magnitude of the values found for the dry-bean varieties tested in the present study would classify them oas non toxic for human consumption.