Bay Bean

What Is Bay Bean?

Bay bean is a sprawling, salt-tolerant legume of tropical and subtropical beaches, used in coastal folk medicine and smoked as a mild relaxant. Its root, leaf and seed are used for rheumatism, wounds, colds and as a purgative ^{1,2,3,24Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 2StuartXchangePataning dagat / Canavalia rosea (Bay Bean)Reference 3DeFilippsA., Maina, SReference 24CSIRO · 2020Canavalia rosea — species factsheet, citing Cribb (1981) for Aboriginal useView study →}.

Canavalia rosea (syn. Canavalia maritima) grows along sea coasts throughout the tropics and subtropics, often beside beach morning glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae) ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}. Its trailing stems reach 2–10 m, and its young pods, seeds and flowers are eaten once cooked ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.

The seed contains L-canavanine, a toxic amino acid found throughout the genus, and a lectin of the concanavalin A type known as ConM ^{5,7Reference 5Fonseca et al. · 2022In vitroLectins ConA and ConM extracted from Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia rosea inhibit planktonic Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis [in vitro]View study →Reference 7Seena et al.Seena, S., Sridhar, K. R., et al. Nutritional and antinutritional significance of four unconventional legumes of the genus Canavalia — A comparative study. Food Chemistry — canavanine and antinutritional factors in Canavalia (incl. C. rosea / maritima).}. Research on the plant has been in cells and animals, much of it on this lectin ^{11,17Reference 11Pinto et al. · 2013AnimalEffects of Canavalia lectins on acute inflammation in sensitized and non-sensitized rats [in vivo]View study →Reference 17Gondim et al. · 2019In vitroPotent antiviral activity of carbohydrate-specific algal and leguminous lectins from the Brazilian biodiversity [in vitro]View study →}.

Bay bean is a close relative of the jack bean (C. ensiformis) and the sword bean (C. gladiata).

How Is Bay Bean Used?

• Root — an infusion for colds, also applied to the skin for aches and rheumatism ^{24Reference 24CSIRO · 2020Canavalia rosea — species factsheet, citing Cribb (1981) for Aboriginal useView study →}. In the Guianas the root is used as a diuretic and purgative, and is steeped in vinegar for gargles ^{1,3Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 3DeFilippsA., Maina, S}.
• Leaf — a decoction for rheumatism, a paste of crushed leaves for boils, and the juice of the leaf stalks for puncture wounds ^{1,2Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 2StuartXchangePataning dagat / Canavalia rosea (Bay Bean)}.
• Seed — an infusion as a purgative ^{1,3Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 3DeFilippsA., Maina, S}. Young seeds are cooked as a pulse, and the seeds are a source of protein in West Africa ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.
• Smoked leaf — the dried leaves, sometimes with the seeds, are smoked as a marijuana substitute ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.

Traditional Uses

Aboriginal Australian

Aboriginal Australians drank an infusion of the roots for colds, and applied the same preparation externally for rheumatism, general aches and pains, and leprosy ^{24Reference 24CSIRO · 2020Canavalia rosea — species factsheet, citing Cribb (1981) for Aboriginal useView study →}.

The Yaegl community of northern New South Wales counts bay bean among its customary treatments for wounds, sores and skin infections ^{15Reference 15Packer et al. · 2015In vitroAntimicrobial activity of customary medicinal plants of the Yaegl Aboriginal community — a preliminary study [in vitro]View study →}.

Philippine Folk Medicine

In the Philippines, where the plant is called pataning-dagat, the juice from the leaf stalks is applied to puncture wounds from thorns and other sharp objects. A decoction of the leaves is used for rheumatism, and a paste of the leaves is applied to boils ^{1,2Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 2StuartXchangePataning dagat / Canavalia rosea (Bay Bean)}.

The young pods are boiled and eaten ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.

Guianas Folk Medicine

In the Guianas the root is regarded as diuretic and is noted for a bitter, purgative principle. It is steeped in vinegar and used for gargles. An infusion of the seed is taken as a purgative ^{1,3Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 3DeFilippsA., Maina, S}.

Indications

• Rheumatism and general aches [leaf decoction, root infusion; Philippine and Aboriginal Australian use]
• Colds [root infusion; Aboriginal Australian use]
• Boils [leaf paste; Philippine use]
• Wounds, sores and skin infections [leaf, leaf-stalk juice; Philippine and Yaegl use] ⚠Caution: In a screen of Yaegl wound plants against common wound pathogens, bay bean extracts were not among those with promising antimicrobial activity ¹⁵.
• Leprosy [root; Aboriginal Australian use]
• Constipation [root, seed; Guianas]
• Fluid retention [root; Guianas]
• Relaxation [dried leaf, smoked; modern use]

Botany

Bay bean is a robust, perennial legume in the bean family (Fabaceae) ^{1,25Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 25Wu et al.Fabaceae: Canavalia rosea — species treatmentView study →}. Its trailing or climbing stems grow 2–10 m long and become somewhat woody with age ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.

Its leaves each have three leaflets. The leaflets are obovate to nearly round, usually 5–8 cm long and sometimes up to 14 cm, and hairy on both surfaces ^{25Reference 25Wu et al.Fabaceae: Canavalia rosea — species treatmentView study →}.

The flowers are purple, with a rounded upper petal about 2.5 cm across. They grow one to three together at the nodes of a raceme up to 30 cm long ^{25Reference 25Wu et al.Fabaceae: Canavalia rosea — species treatmentView study →}. In the tropics the plant flowers throughout the year ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.

The pods are linear-oblong, 8–12 cm long and 2–2.5 cm wide. The seeds are brown and elliptic, 13–15 mm long ^{25Reference 25Wu et al.Fabaceae: Canavalia rosea — species treatmentView study →}. They float and are impermeable to water, so they can drift long distances at sea, which explains the plant’s wide distribution ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.

Like many legumes, bay bean forms root nodules with bacteria that fix nitrogen from the air ^{1Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →}.

Distribution

Bay bean grows along sea coasts throughout the tropics and subtropics, on sandy beaches and the edges of coastal bushland. It is occasionally found inland on roadsides and lake shores ^{1,25Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 25Wu et al.Fabaceae: Canavalia rosea — species treatmentView study →}.

In Australia it occurs in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, and south to south-eastern New South Wales. There it usually grows just above the high-tide line in beach strand vegetation ^{24Reference 24CSIRO · 2020Canavalia rosea — species factsheet, citing Cribb (1981) for Aboriginal useView study →}. In Florida it grows in coastal counties from Volusia and Dixie south into the Keys ^{26Reference 26Florida Wildflower FoundationBay bean (Canavalia rosea) — Flower Friday species profileView study →}.

It binds sand on beaches and is an important species for stabilising dunes ^{1,24Reference 1FernCanavalia roseaView study →Reference 24CSIRO · 2020Canavalia rosea — species factsheet, citing Cribb (1981) for Aboriginal useView study →}.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Bay Bean

LifeperennialZoneUSDA 9–12

• Trailing coastal perennial, full sun; highly salt- and drought-tolerant, sandy well-drained soil.
• Roughly USDA zone 9b–12.

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Pharmacology & Research

Bay bean has no human trials. The research is a small set of in vitro and animal studies on leaf extracts, and a larger body of work on the seed lectin ConM, studied under the synonym Canavalia maritima ^{8,9,11,17Reference 8Sazzad et al. · 2024In vitroUnveiling the therapeutic potential of Canavalia rosea leaves: exploring antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and cytotoxic activities through biological and molecular docking evaluation with DFT analysis [in vitro; in silico]View study →Reference 9Feitosa et al. · 2023AnimalAntioxidants and cardioprotective effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Canavalia rosea leaves in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury — ex vivo rat heartView study →Reference 11Pinto et al. · 2013AnimalEffects of Canavalia lectins on acute inflammation in sensitized and non-sensitized rats [in vivo]View study →Reference 17Gondim et al. · 2019In vitroPotent antiviral activity of carbohydrate-specific algal and leguminous lectins from the Brazilian biodiversity [in vitro]View study →}.

The lectin studies mostly used purified protein, injected into rats or tested in cells ^{11,16,17Reference 11Pinto et al. · 2013AnimalEffects of Canavalia lectins on acute inflammation in sensitized and non-sensitized rats [in vivo]View study →Reference 16Pinto et al. · 2013AnimalHomologous Canavalia lectins elicit different patterns of antinociceptive responses — rat models [in vivo]View study →Reference 17Gondim et al. · 2019In vitroPotent antiviral activity of carbohydrate-specific algal and leguminous lectins from the Brazilian biodiversity [in vitro]View study →}. The leaf-extract studies found antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity ^{8,9Reference 8Sazzad et al. · 2024In vitroUnveiling the therapeutic potential of Canavalia rosea leaves: exploring antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and cytotoxic activities through biological and molecular docking evaluation with DFT analysis [in vitro; in silico]View study →Reference 9Feitosa et al. · 2023AnimalAntioxidants and cardioprotective effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Canavalia rosea leaves in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury — ex vivo rat heartView study →}.

The one nervous-system-active compound isolated from the plant, the guanidine alkaloid canarosine, binds dopamine D1 receptors in vitro ^{18Reference 18Pattamadilok et al. · 2008In vitroCanarosine: a new guanidine alkaloid from Canavalia rosea with inhibitory activity on dopamine D1 receptors [in vitro]View study →}.

1. Antioxidant

A 2024 study of a methanol leaf extract and its chloroform and n-hexane fractions found strong ferric-reducing antioxidant activity, highest in the methanol extract. The study also measured total phenolic and flavonoid content ^{8Reference 8Sazzad et al. · 2024In vitroUnveiling the therapeutic potential of Canavalia rosea leaves: exploring antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and cytotoxic activities through biological and molecular docking evaluation with DFT analysis [in vitro; in silico]View study →}.

In a 2023 study, an ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves (300 μg/mL) was perfused through isolated rat hearts before ischemia and reperfusion. It raised glutathione peroxidase activity and lowered malondialdehyde, a marker of lipid peroxidation, and creatine kinase ^{9Reference 9Feitosa et al. · 2023AnimalAntioxidants and cardioprotective effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Canavalia rosea leaves in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury — ex vivo rat heartView study →}.

In vitro, the seed lectin ConM and resveratrol scavenged free radicals together more strongly than either alone ^{10Reference 10Rocha et al. · 2015In vitroStructural basis of ConM binding with resveratrol, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant polyphenol [in vitro]View study →}. Fermented Canavalia maritima beans had higher antioxidant capacity than raw or cooked beans ^{22Reference 22Niveditha et al. · 2014In vitroAntioxidant activity of raw, cooked and Rhizopus oligosporus fermented beans of Canavalia of coastal sand dunes [in vitro]View study →}.

The activity has been measured in cell-free assays and isolated organs, not in whole animals or people.

2. Anti-Inflammatory

In the 2024 leaf-extract study, the methanol extract and its fractions protected human red-cell membranes against hypotonic lysis and inhibited heat-induced protein denaturation. These are standard in vitro proxies for anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity ^{8Reference 8Sazzad et al. · 2024In vitroUnveiling the therapeutic potential of Canavalia rosea leaves: exploring antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and cytotoxic activities through biological and molecular docking evaluation with DFT analysis [in vitro; in silico]View study →}.

Given intravenously to rats, the seed lectin ConM reduced carrageenan-induced oedema by 45–51% and leukocyte migration by 49%, and the Canavalia lectins cut peritoneal TNF-α by 82%. In sensitised rats, ConM reduced ovalbumin-induced paw oedema by 34% and leukocyte migration by 70%. The effects involved prostaglandin E₂, nitric oxide and TNF-α ^{11Reference 11Pinto et al. · 2013AnimalEffects of Canavalia lectins on acute inflammation in sensitized and non-sensitized rats [in vivo]View study →}.

A crystallographic study mapped how ConM binds resveratrol ^{10Reference 10Rocha et al. · 2015In vitroStructural basis of ConM binding with resveratrol, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant polyphenol [in vitro]View study →}.

Gap: the in vivo anti-inflammatory data use an injected, purified lectin, a route and form unrelated to smoking the leaf or drinking a decoction. The whole-extract evidence stops at in vitro proxies.

3. Vasodilator & Cardioprotective

ConM relaxed isolated rat aortic rings in a concentration-dependent way. The effect probably works through a lectin-binding site on the endothelium that releases nitric oxide ^{13Reference 13Gadelha et al. · 2005In vitroNative crystal structure of a nitric oxide-releasing lectin from the seeds of Canavalia maritima [in vitro]View study →}.

A comparative study of three Canavalia lectins found that the lectins of C. gladiata and C. brasiliensis relaxed rat aorta in an endothelium-dependent way. Injected under the skin, all three lectins caused paw oedema, and ConM did so without nitric-oxide involvement ^{12Reference 12Assreuy et al. · 2009AnimalVasodilator effects of Diocleinae lectins from the Canavalia genus — rat models [in vivo]View study →}.

The ethyl acetate leaf fraction protected isolated rat hearts in the ischemia-reperfusion model. It restored left-ventricular developed pressure, reduced an arrhythmia-severity index and blocked the rise in caspase-3 caused by reperfusion injury ^{9Reference 9Feitosa et al. · 2023AnimalAntioxidants and cardioprotective effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Canavalia rosea leaves in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury — ex vivo rat heartView study →}.

4. Antibacterial

The seed lectin ConM inhibited the growth and biofilm formation of the tooth-decay bacterium Streptococcus mutans in vitro. It also stimulated the growth of Streptococcus oralis ^{14Reference 14Cavalcante et al. · 2011In vitroEffect of lectins from Diocleinae subtribe against oral Streptococci [in vitro]View study →}.

In a screen of Yaegl Aboriginal wound-medicine plants against clinical pathogens, including resistant Staphylococcus aureus, C. rosea was among the species tested. Other plants in the panel, not bay bean, showed the promising activity ^{15Reference 15Packer et al. · 2015In vitroAntimicrobial activity of customary medicinal plants of the Yaegl Aboriginal community — a preliminary study [in vitro]View study →}.

A leaf-extract screen attributes antibacterial activity to the triterpenes (ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, betulinic acid) and flavonoids it identified ^{6Reference 6Antibacterial activity et al.Antibacterial activity and preliminary phytochemical analysis of leaf extract of Canavalia rosea (Sw.) DC. (Beach Bean) — triterpenes (α-amyrin, betulinic/oleanolic/ursolic acids) and flavonoids; antibacterial screening.}.

Gap: the activity is organism-specific and mostly lectin-based. The one controlled screen of whole C. rosea extract against wound pathogens did not find it active.

5. Antinociceptive

A single research group tested the seed lectin ConM in three pain models in rats. It inhibited the second, inflammatory phase of the formalin test by 59%, reduced mechanical hypersensitivity in the von Frey test by 55%, and cut acetic-acid-induced writhing by 60% ^{16Reference 16Pinto et al. · 2013AnimalHomologous Canavalia lectins elicit different patterns of antinociceptive responses — rat models [in vivo]View study →}.

Gap: no replication outside the originating group, and the active agent is an isolated lectin rather than any preparation of the whole herb.

6. Antiviral

A study of nine Brazilian lectins against 18 viruses found ConM among the most potent. ConM and two related lectins had EC₅₀ values of 0.4–6 nM against influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B. For HIV, the lectins appeared to block the virus from entering cells ^{17Reference 17Gondim et al. · 2019In vitroPotent antiviral activity of carbohydrate-specific algal and leguminous lectins from the Brazilian biodiversity [in vitro]View study →}.

Mannose- and glucose-binding plant lectins are a recognised antiviral class, because they bind the sugars on viral envelopes.

Gap: one in vitro study of an isolated lectin, with nothing on whole-plant preparations, antiviral effects in animals, or the safety of the lectin given systemically.

7. Dopaminergic (CNS)

A new guanidine alkaloid, canarosine, was isolated from the aerial parts of bay bean. At 100 μg/mL it inhibited dopamine D1-receptor binding by 91%, with an IC₅₀ of about 39 μM ^{18Reference 18Pattamadilok et al. · 2008In vitroCanarosine: a new guanidine alkaloid from Canavalia rosea with inhibitory activity on dopamine D1 receptors [in vitro]View study →}.

That is a weak, micromolar activity found in a single binding assay. No analysis has confirmed the often-repeated claim that the leaves contain N,N-DMT or 5-MeO-DMT.

Gap: the D1 result is a single in vitro binding result on an isolated alkaloid. There is no behavioural, animal or human evidence.

8. Antifungal

When the lectins ConM and ConA were tested against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis, minimum-inhibitory-concentration assays showed no direct antifungal activity. The lectins did lower the concentration of fluconazole needed against C. albicans, and slightly altered the yeasts’ change of form ^{5Reference 5Fonseca et al. · 2022In vitroLectins ConA and ConM extracted from Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia rosea inhibit planktonic Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis [in vitro]View study →}.

The finding is fluconazole potentiation in vitro, not direct anti-Candida activity.

Mechanisms

Most of bay bean’s measured pharmacology belongs to the seed lectin ConM. It has been studied for suppressing TNF-α and prostaglandin E₂, for releasing nitric oxide from the endothelium, and for binding the sugars on viral envelopes.

L-canavanine, the genus’s characteristic amino acid, acts as an arginine antagonist and is the basis of the plant’s toxicity ^{19Reference 19Rosenthal · 1977ReviewThe biological effects and mode of action of L-canavanine, a structural analogue of L-arginine [review]View study →}. The alkaloid canarosine binds dopamine D1 receptors in vitro ^{18Reference 18Pattamadilok et al. · 2008In vitroCanarosine: a new guanidine alkaloid from Canavalia rosea with inhibitory activity on dopamine D1 receptors [in vitro]View study →}.

Clinical Trials

No registered clinical trials of Canavalia rosea were identified. The evidence base is entirely preclinical.

Last checked: August 2026.

Phytochemistry

The seed contains L-canavanine, a non-protein amino acid found throughout the genus ^{7Reference 7Seena et al.Seena, S., Sridhar, K. R., et al. Nutritional and antinutritional significance of four unconventional legumes of the genus Canavalia — A comparative study. Food Chemistry — canavanine and antinutritional factors in Canavalia (incl. C. rosea / maritima).}. It is a structural analogue of arginine and is toxic to a wide range of species ^{19Reference 19Rosenthal · 1977ReviewThe biological effects and mode of action of L-canavanine, a structural analogue of L-arginine [review]View study →}.

The seed is also a source of ConM, a mannose- and glucose-binding lectin of the concanavalin A type ^{5,13Reference 5Fonseca et al. · 2022In vitroLectins ConA and ConM extracted from Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia rosea inhibit planktonic Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis [in vitro]View study →Reference 13Gadelha et al. · 2005In vitroNative crystal structure of a nitric oxide-releasing lectin from the seeds of Canavalia maritima [in vitro]View study →}. A recombinant form of the lectin is active against the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus, a pest of stored legume seeds ^{23Reference 23Mani et al. · 2026Recombinant lectin from the coastal jack bean Canavalia rosea and its anti-bruchid activity towards Callosobruchus maculatusView study →}. The amino acid derivatives stizolobin and stizolobin methyl ether are also reported from the plant.

The aerial parts yielded the guanidine alkaloid canarosine, along with β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, daucosterol, epi-inositol 6-O-methyl ether and rutin ^{18Reference 18Pattamadilok et al. · 2008In vitroCanarosine: a new guanidine alkaloid from Canavalia rosea with inhibitory activity on dopamine D1 receptors [in vitro]View study →}.

A leaf-extract screen reported flavonoids, including quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin, and the pentacyclic triterpenes ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, betulinic acid and α-amyrin. It also found tannins, saponins, phenolics and cardiac glycosides ^{6Reference 6Antibacterial activity et al.Antibacterial activity and preliminary phytochemical analysis of leaf extract of Canavalia rosea (Sw.) DC. (Beach Bean) — triterpenes (α-amyrin, betulinic/oleanolic/ursolic acids) and flavonoids; antibacterial screening.}. A 2022 review collects the plant’s other reported activities, including antiplasmodial and anticancer findings ^{4Reference 4A review on pharmacological aspects of C · 2022ReviewA review on pharmacological aspects of Canavalia rosea (2022) — antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiplasmodial and other reported activities; constituent overview.}.

N,N-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT are reported for bay bean in smoking-blend literature, but no analytical study has confirmed either in the plant, so they are not listed here.

Constituent Summary

Bay bean has not been quantitatively profiled. L-canavanine is concentrated in the seed ^{7Reference 7Seena et al.Seena, S., Sridhar, K. R., et al. Nutritional and antinutritional significance of four unconventional legumes of the genus Canavalia — A comparative study. Food Chemistry — canavanine and antinutritional factors in Canavalia (incl. C. rosea / maritima).}.

Dosage

There is no established medicinal dose for bay bean. Traditional use relies on simple decoctions and infusions of the root or leaf, and on leaf pastes and leaf-stalk juice applied to the skin.

Safety & Pregnancy

Bay bean’s main hazard is L-canavanine, which is concentrated in the seed, so the raw seed should not be eaten. The plant is not established for internal use.

Full Safety & Interactions Detail

L-canavanine. L-canavanine is found throughout the Canavalia genus and is concentrated in the seed ^{7Reference 7Seena et al.Seena, S., Sridhar, K. R., et al. Nutritional and antinutritional significance of four unconventional legumes of the genus Canavalia — A comparative study. Food Chemistry — canavanine and antinutritional factors in Canavalia (incl. C. rosea / maritima).}. It is a structural analogue of arginine: enzymes load it in place of arginine, it is built into proteins, and it disrupts protein, RNA and DNA metabolism ^{19Reference 19Rosenthal · 1977ReviewThe biological effects and mode of action of L-canavanine, a structural analogue of L-arginine [review]View study →}.

Lupus-like disease. In studies of primates fed alfalfa seeds and L-canavanine, a major amino acid of alfalfa, canavanine was implicated in a lupus-like disease. The same research group described a person who developed autoimmune haemolytic anaemia while eating alfalfa seeds in a study ^{20Reference 20Montanaro et al. · 1991ReviewDietary amino acid-induced systemic lupus erythematosus — L-canavanine in primates [review]View study →}.

Cooking. The raw seed should not be eaten. Pressure cooking the ripe beans reduced their lectin (haemagglutinating) activity by up to 50%, and rats grew better on cooked beans than on raw ones ^{21Reference 21Bhagya et al. · 2009AnimalNutritional and biological qualities of the ripened beans of Canavalia maritima — cooking reduces hemagglutinin activity; rat feeding study [in vivo]View study →}.

Psychoactivity. No analysis has confirmed N,N-DMT or 5-MeO-DMT in the leaf. The only nervous-system-active constituent isolated is canarosine, a weak dopamine-D1 ligand in vitro ^{18Reference 18Pattamadilok et al. · 2008In vitroCanarosine: a new guanidine alkaloid from Canavalia rosea with inhibitory activity on dopamine D1 receptors [in vitro]View study →}.

Interactions. No human or animal drug-interaction study of bay bean exists. Avoiding MAOIs is a precaution attached to the unconfirmed tryptamine claim, not a documented interaction. Smoking any plant material carries its own respiratory risks.

References

1. Fern, K. Canavalia rosea. Tropical Plants Database (Useful Tropical Plants) — botanical description, habitat, edible and medicinal uses. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Canavalia+rosea
2. StuartXchange. Pataning dagat / Canavalia rosea (Bay Bean). Philippine Medicinal Plants — petiole juice for puncture wounds, leaf decoction for rheumatism, leaf paste for boils, smoking use.
3. DeFilipps, R. A., Maina, S. L., & Crepin, J. Medicinal Plants of the Guianas. Smithsonian Institution — root diuretic/purgative, vinegar gargle, seed purgative.
4. A review on pharmacological aspects of Canavalia rosea (2022) — antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiplasmodial and other reported activities; constituent overview.
5. Fonseca, V. J. A., et al. (2022). Lectins ConA and ConM extracted from Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia rosea inhibit planktonic Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis [in vitro]. Arch Microbiol, 204(6), 346. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35608680/
6. Antibacterial activity and preliminary phytochemical analysis of leaf extract of Canavalia rosea (Sw.) DC. (Beach Bean) — triterpenes (α-amyrin, betulinic/oleanolic/ursolic acids) and flavonoids; antibacterial screening.
7. Seena, S., Sridhar, K. R., et al. Nutritional and antinutritional significance of four unconventional legumes of the genus Canavalia — A comparative study. Food Chemistry — canavanine and antinutritional factors in Canavalia (incl. C. rosea / maritima).
8. Sazzad, N., et al. (2024). Unveiling the therapeutic potential of Canavalia rosea leaves: exploring antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, and cytotoxic activities through biological and molecular docking evaluation with DFT analysis [in vitro; in silico]. Heliyon. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39403519/
9. Feitosa, M. B. J., et al. (2023). Antioxidants and cardioprotective effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Canavalia rosea leaves in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury — ex vivo rat heart. An Acad Bras Cienc. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37493694/
10. Rocha, B. A., et al. (2015). Structural basis of ConM binding with resveratrol, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant polyphenol [in vitro]. Int J Biol Macromol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25192853/
11. Pinto, N. V., et al. (2013). Effects of Canavalia lectins on acute inflammation in sensitized and non-sensitized rats [in vivo]. Inflammation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23377963/
12. Assreuy, A. M., et al. (2009). Vasodilator effects of Diocleinae lectins from the Canavalia genus — rat models [in vivo]. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19855960/
13. Gadelha, C. A., et al. (2005). Native crystal structure of a nitric oxide-releasing lectin from the seeds of Canavalia maritima [in vitro]. J Struct Biol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16337811/
14. Cavalcante, T. T., et al. (2011). Effect of lectins from Diocleinae subtribe against oral Streptococci [in vitro]. Molecules. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21525793/
15. Packer, J., et al. (2015). Antimicrobial activity of customary medicinal plants of the Yaegl Aboriginal community — a preliminary study [in vitro]. BMC Res Notes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26122212/
16. Pinto, N. V., et al. (2013). Homologous Canavalia lectins elicit different patterns of antinociceptive responses — rat models [in vivo]. Nat Prod Commun. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24427956/
17. Gondim, A. C. S., et al. (2019). Potent antiviral activity of carbohydrate-specific algal and leguminous lectins from the Brazilian biodiversity [in vitro]. MedChemComm. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30996857/
18. Pattamadilok, D., et al. (2008). Canarosine: a new guanidine alkaloid from Canavalia rosea with inhibitory activity on dopamine D1 receptors [in vitro]. J Asian Nat Prod Res. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19003607/
19. Rosenthal, G. A. (1977). The biological effects and mode of action of L-canavanine, a structural analogue of L-arginine [review]. Q Rev Biol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/331385/
20. Montanaro, A., & Bardana, E. J. (1991). Dietary amino acid-induced systemic lupus erythematosus — L-canavanine in primates [review]. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1862241/
21. Bhagya, B., et al. (2009). Nutritional and biological qualities of the ripened beans of Canavalia maritima — cooking reduces hemagglutinin activity; rat feeding study [in vivo]. C R Biol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19200923/
22. Niveditha, V. R., et al. (2014). Antioxidant activity of raw, cooked and Rhizopus oligosporus fermented beans of Canavalia of coastal sand dunes [in vitro]. J Food Sci Technol. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26396318/
23. Mani, M., et al. (2026). Recombinant lectin from the coastal jack bean Canavalia rosea and its anti-bruchid activity towards Callosobruchus maculatus. Naturwissenschaften. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41961266/
24. CSIRO (2020). Canavalia rosea — species factsheet, citing Cribb (1981) for Aboriginal use. Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, online edition. https://apps.lucidcentral.org/rainforest/text/entities/canavalia_rosea.htm
25. Wu, D., & Thulin, M. Fabaceae: Canavalia rosea — species treatment. Flora of China, Vol. 10. eFloras. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242310532
26. Florida Wildflower Foundation. Bay bean (Canavalia rosea) — Flower Friday species profile. https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-canavalia-rosea/

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