Chemical evaluation of <em>Mucuna</em> species for L-dopa content - an anti-Parkinson’s drug yielding medicinal plant from India

Abstract

<em>Mucuna</em> species is an important medicinal plant of India which is the best known natural source of bioactive compound L-dopa (L-3,4-dihydroxy phenylalanine) used as potential drug for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The present study was undertaken for the chemical evaluation of four species of <em>Mucuna,</em> viz.; <em>M. pruriens </em>var.<em> pruriens, M. pruriens </em> var.<em> utilis </em> (Wall. ex Wight) L. H. Bailey, <em> M</em>. <em>monosperma </em> Wight<em>,</em> <em>M. nigricans </em> (Lour.) Steud <em>., M. gigantea </em> (Willd.) DC<em>., </em> collected from wild habitats of Odisha state of eastern India for pharmaceutically valued compound L-dopa. Results indicated a wide range of germplasm variability in seed size, color and L-dopa content. Among the four <em>Mucuna</em> species, highest L-dopa content was found in <em>M. pruriens </em> var.<em> pruriens </em> germplasm varying between 4.91 % - 7.09 %. Other <em>Mucuna</em> species having high L-dopa were <em>M. gigantea </em> (6.76 %), <em>M. nigricans </em> (6.16 %) and <em>M. monosperma </em> (4.61 %); while <em>M. pruriens </em> var.<em> utilis </em> showed least L-dopa content of 1.22 %. Promising accessions with high L-dopa content (> 6 %) were IC599290, IC599342, IC599336, IC599361 and IC599350. Superior accessions along with other rarely occurring <em>Mucuna</em> species can be exploited for large-scale cultivation of this drug plant for pharmaceutical use.