Mucuna Pruriens benefit

How Mucuna Pruriens benefits were found?

Rich dark brown color, and covered with thick and stiff hairs containing Mucuna Pruriens is also known as velvet bean. In many countries, some of the ethnic groups of people traditionally used this high protein contained this legume as a protein-rich food source. This annual climbing legume is cultivated in Asia, Africa, America, and the Pacific Islands. Human being consumes pods of this legume as a vegetable and its young leaves are used as animal fodder. Indian and West African traditional medicinal practices have used Mucuna Pruriens plant parts. In the Ayurvedic medicinal system, roots of Mucuna Pruriens are used as amenorrhoea, anthelmintic, aphrodisiac, bitter, constipation, diuretic, dropsy, dysmenorrhoea, elephantiasis, emmenagogue, emollient, febrifuge, purgative, stimulant, thermogenic, and tonic. It is recommended to relieve delirium, fever, helminthiasis, nephropathy, neuropathy, and ulcers.

Overall Mucuna Pruriens plant has studied to check its different medicinal properties, including anti-diabetic, antiepileptic, antimicrobial, anti-neoplastic, aphrodisiac, activities. It enhances learning and memory capacity along with anti-venom, anthelmintic, and anti-inflammatory activities. The following are some traditional medicinal recommendations of the different parts of Mucuna Pruriens plants. 

• The leaves, flowers, and seeds of this plant are used as an anti-venom against snake bite, uterine stimulant, and aphrodisiac.
• The leaves of this plant are useful regimen for cough, dog-bite, snake-bite, scorpion sting, ringworm, pleuritis, syphilis, bone fractures, pain symptoms, schizophrenic condition, etc.
• The leaves of Mucuna Pruriens has an aphrodisiac property and recommended for enhancing sexual desire. They also used as a nerve tonic and treatment regimens for ulcers, spermatorrhoea, and leucorrhoea.
• The hairy structure covered in pods of Mucuna Pruriens has 5-hydroxytryptamine and causes skin itching, which acts as a local stimulant and mild vesicant. The smoke of the dried leaves of M. pruriens has the same use.
• The root of Mucuna Pruriens acts as a purgative and diuretic and helps to cure elephantiasis and cholera.
• The seeds of Mucuna Pruriens have traditionally used for its anti-diabetic, antifungal, aphrodisiac, antioxidant, anthelmintic, anti-parkinsonian, hypotensive, hypocholesterolemic, hypothermic, carminative, immunomodulatory properties. They are recommended to treat catarrh, cough, cancer, delirium, debility, dropsy, dysmenorrhea, dysentery, emmenagogue, fertility, gout, irritant, impotency, lithiasis, night dreams, nervine, sterility, tuberculosis, uterine stimulant, worms. [1]

What are the phytochemicals present in Mucuna Pruriens?

• L-DOPA, Beta-sitosterol, Gallic acid, Glutathione, Bufotenine, 5-Hydroxytryptamine, 6-Methoxyharman, Tryptamine, Linoleic acid, Oleic acid, Palmitic acid (n-Hexanoic acid) , Stearic acid, 3-methoxy-1,1-dimethyl-6,7- dihydroxy-1,2,3.4- tetrahydroquinoline, 3-methoxy-1,1-dimethyl-7,8- dihydroxy-1,2,3.4- tetrahydroquinoline, indole-3-alkylamines-N, N-dimethyltryptamine, Squalene, Ascorbic acid, and 5-Hydroxytriptophane are different bioactive phytochemicals are obtained from Mucuna Pruriens plant source. [2]

What is the Mode of action of Mucuna Pruriens health benefits?

• The main phenolic compound of Mucuna seeds is L-dopa and it has well-established L-dopa is a drug of choice of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers found that the neuroprotective effect of Mucuna Pruriens whole plant is obtained due to the presence of phytochemicals like L-DOPA, amino acids, alkaloids, and isoquinolines.
• Aqueous extract of Mucuna Pruriens contains protease inhibitors, which active against snake venom.
• Presence of tannins, alkaloids and L DOPA present in methanolic extract of Mucuna Pruriens leaf exert antimicrobial property.
• Researchers had identified two phytochemicals like cyclitols, oligosaccharides in this plant seed extract have anti-diabetic property.
• Mucuna Pruriens has potent antioxidant property and prevents stress-induced lipid peroxidation. The presence of L-dopa and its strong antioxidant property acts against DNA damage and prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Methanolic extract of the whole plant, plant seeds and leaves containing phenol and tannins provide antioxidant property. [3]

What are the different forms of Mucuna Pruriens?

In herbal medical practice, 5 g of Mucuna pruriens dried powder is recommended for Parkinson’s disease treatment and fertility issues. [4]

Mucuna Pruriens uses

Parkinson’s disease treatment

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder occurs due to a decreased level of dopamine in certain brain tissues leads to the death of certain neuronal tissues in the brain. [5] Mucuna pruriens contains L-dopa (levodopa), which has efficiency against Parkinson’s disease by enhancing the dopamine content in brain tissue. The low level of L-dopa in Parkinson’s disease causes symptoms of slowed movement, tremor, muscular rigidity, speech difficulty, and impaired balance. Therefore, researchers expected Mucuna pruriens can be used as an alternative treatment for Parkinson’s disease. [6] 

A multicenter clinical trial conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Mucuna pruriens against Parkinson’s disease. In this study, 66 Parkinson’s disease affected patients were included and the result indicated that treatment with combination therapy of Mucuna pruriens, Datura stramonium, and Vicia faba significant reduces the disease score rate after 12 weeks of the treatment period. [7]

Antidiabetic

Diabetes is a very common metabolic disorder and can affect any age. Mucuna pruriens seeds have an anti-diabetic effect by reducing the blood glucose level. Animal research also conducted to check this efficacy. The research result reported that seed extract of Mucuna pruriens with a low dose can safely control blood glucose levels in diabetic rats and also significantly reduce body weight.[8]

Libido enhancement

The aphrodisiac property of Mucuna pruriens has been identified long ago and often recommended to treat male sexual disorders. An animal trial result reported that this herb could increase the mounting frequency, ejaculation latency, and intromission frequency and reduce the mounting latency, post-ejaculatory interval, intromission latency, and inter-intromission interval. [9] All these parameters indicate Mucuna pruriens are effective to enhance libido.

Male fertility improvement

Male infertility problem is common in association with a diabetic condition. Mucuna pruriens has anti-diabetic property. The seeds extract of this plant also improves fertility outcome by increasing daily sperm production, improving sperm parameters, enhancing libido and increasing luteinizing hormone, follicular stimulating hormone, and testosterone levels. These findings are backed by a preclinical experiment. [10]

Infection control

Mucuna pruriens leaves have potent antimicrobial properties against both bacteria and fungi. Flavonoids, kerotonins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids are different phytochemicals of Mucuna pruriens leaves active against a variety of infectious bacteria and fungi, including Agrobacterium rhizogenes, Alternaria solani, Curvalaria lunata, Colletotricum capsici, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium expansium, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Rhizoctonia solani, Ustilago maydis and Xanthomonas compestris species. [11]

Tumor prevention

The anti-inflammatory property of this herb is effective to prevent different inflammatory conditions along with tumor formation. Both potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Mucuna pruriens provide safeguard against tumor development. [1]

Bio-fertilizer

Researchers have started to find out some alternative bio-fertilizer to replace synthetic fertilizer usage. Synthetic fertilizers interfere with food crops and reduce their health benefits. Mucuna pruriens is a legume that contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which absorbed N2 gas from the air and fertilize the soil naturally. [2]

Protein substitute

Mucuna pruriens is a rich source of plant-based protein and appropriate for vegan health-conscious people, or individuals who require a high protein-containing diet. [2]

 

Mucuna pruriens Side effects

More than 12 week treatment period with 15-30g of Mucuna pruriens powder can cause nausea and vomiting symptoms. Otherwise, this herbal ingredient within this dose range cannot cause any significant side effects. Other possible side effects of Mucuna pruriens include headache, abdominal bloating, agitation, confusion, hallucinations fast heartbeat, etc.

An animal trial indicates acute toxicity may occur due to higher dose recommendation which includes hyperventilation and reduced spontaneous motor activity. [8]

When should I avoid Mucuna pruriens?

Patients already have taken medications for diabetes, blood pressure or depression and antipsychotics should avoid intake of this herbal regimen on their own. Details long-term therapy effects yet now not known. It is always better to consult with your doctor before administering such alternative medicinal agents. [4]

References

1. The  Traditional  Uses  and  Pharmacological  Activities  of  Mucuna Pruriens (L)DC: A Comprehensive Review.
2. An updated review on Taxonomy, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology of Macuna pruriens.
3. The Magic Velvet Bean of Mucuna pruriens.
4. Mucuna pruriens benefits and side effects.
5. Parkinson’s disease.
6. COWHAGE.
7. An alternative medicine treatment for Parkinson’s disease: results of a multicenter clinical trial. HP-200 in Parkinson’s Disease Study Group.
8. Evaluation of the anti-diabetic properties of Mucuna pruriens seed extract.
9. Dose- and time-dependent effects of ethanolic extract of Mucuna pruriens Linn. seed on sexual behaviour of normal male rats.
10. Effect of Mucuna pruriens (Linn.) on sexual behavior and sperm parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rat.
11. Antimicrobial Activity of Various Extracts of Mucuna Pruriens Leaves.