Nutraceutical potential of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Mucuna utilis </i>Wall. – A lesser known legume

Abstract

<i>Mucuna utilis </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style:italic" lang="EN-GB">Wall. a native of South Asia and Malaysia is widely grown throughout the tropics. It is used as a minor food crop in several countries of Asia and Africa. In Nigeria leaves are used as herbal medicine. In South East Asia, the immature pods and leaves are used as vegetable. It is a lesser known source of food in Maharashtra (India) and mostly cultivated in home yards. Young pods are used as salad or made in to vegetable and pickles. Objective of the present study is to understand nutritional potential of these tender pods. Fresh as well as shade dried material was used for estimation of moisture content, chlorophyll, anthocyanin, lycopene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, crude protein, crude fibre, lipids, fat, reducing and non-reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, starch, total nitrogen and phenols. Mineral content was estimated in terms of ash yield and further analysis was carried out for qualitative and quantitative estimation of different elements. Material was also screened for presence of bioactive molecules. The medicinal properties of anthraquinones, flavonoids, leucoanthocyanin, hydroquinone, catechol, saponin and polyoses present in these pods have been discussed and proposed to be explored for their potential medicinal and nutritional values.

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