Search

The bioprocess methodology for the enhanced production of phytochemicals using plant cultures predominantly depends on the elicitors and precursors. The drug L-DOPA (anti-Parkinson's drug) (L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) has been chiefly isolated from the popular medicinal plant species Mucuna. The present study has been carried out to enhance the production of L-DOPA and other secondary metabolites in the presence of the optimized concentration of growth promoters, elicitors and precursor's in vitro callus culture of Mucuna imbricata. Results revealed that there is a positive influence of Methyl Jasmonate (MJC) and Salicylic Acid (SAC) on the accumulation of L-DOPA and other secondary metabolites (Nutritional and anti-nutritional factors), which enhances their production by more than two folds. The highest accumulation of L-DOPA was noticed in the elicitation of 1 mM MJC (4.3 ± 0.4 %) followed by 1 mM SAC (3.4 ± 0.08 %) on 45th and 30th days respectively. Results also illustrated a significant increase of callus biomass (dry and moist weight) as well as total phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidants values in the elicited callus from day 30th to day 45th of explant inoculation which indicates a synergistic interaction of auxin, cytokinins with elicitors and precursors respectively. Additionally, results revealed that improved accumulation of carbohydrates was positively correlated with an increase in L-DOPA content in the elicited callus. Hence the protocol formulated delivers an effective alternative for mass production of L-DOPA from callus culture with improved metabolite content.

Mucuna (Stizolobium pruriens) is widely used in agriculture as a green allowance and in crop rotation, due to its ability to fix nitrogen and recover degraded areas; without embargo, there is a slow and uneven germination. This study used some classical methods, together with the use of low-frequency ultrasound to accelerate and homogenize the germination and emergence of the seeds. The experiment was carried out at the Plant Tissue Cultivation Laboratory of the Ilha Solteira Campus, São Paulo, Brazil. The design used was a completely randomized one, with five replications, in a 3x6 factorial scheme, the factors being: three pre-treatments for latency break: mechanical scarification, thermal scarification, and without scarification with six levels of ultrasound exposure: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 min, totaling 18 treatments. For eight days the germination and the initial stages of the seedlings were controlled. The method without scarification subjected to 4.5 min of ultrasound can become an excellent alternative, since it presented greater germination vigor, while 3.14 min of exposure to ultrasound were enough to improve the emergence speed, regardless of the method used in the preparation of seeds. In conclusion, only with the use of low-frequency ultrasound, it is possible to improve both the germination speed index and the germination vigor, without the need for additional treatments.

Increasing areas of agricultural land in high rainfall areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where crop production used to be reliable, are affected by soil acidity. This review focuses on the extent, causes and effect of soil acidity on soil properties and crop yield and its management from the context of SSA. Studies showed that the detrimental effects of soil acidity can be mitigated through liming, integrated acid soil management and the use of acid-tolerant germplasms. Application of lime resulted in yield increments of 34–252% in wheat, barley and tef, 29–53% in faba bean and soybean, and 42–332% in potato in Ethiopia, 111–182% in maize in Kenya, and 45–103% in Mucuna in Nigeria under moderate to severe acid soil conditions. This was accompanied by a corresponding increase in soil pH up to 1.9 units and a decrease in exchangeable acidity and aluminum up to 2.1 cmol kg−1. Use of acid-tolerant crop varieties such as maize expressing superior tolerance to Al toxicity resulted in a yield increase of 51% under low soil pH in Cameroon and Kenya. Overall, soil acidity covering ∼35% of SSA should be reclaimed with lime and integrated acid soil management interventions, which could significantly increase crop yield and enhance the resilience of the tropical agroecosystems.

The effect of cooking regime on the proximate composition, gross energy and anti-nutitional factors (trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid, hydrogen cyanide, tannin, oxalates and saponins) of Mucuna utilis seed was investigated. Two experiments were conducted with 120 seven-day old broilers of equal average initial weight to evaluate the effect of duration of cooking mucuna seed at 100oC for 20, 40 and 60 minutes on performance. Results showed that duration of cooking did not have any significant (P > 0.05) effects on the dry matter, crude fibre and gross energy. However, the crude protein, either extract and nitrogen free extract significantly (P < 0.05) decreased. The anti-nutrients; tannins, trypsin inhibitory activity, hydrogen cyanide, total oxalates significantly (P < 0.05) reduced with increase in duration of cooking. Feed intake, weight gain feed conversion efficiency, protein intake and utilization were significantly (P < 0.05) improved with increase in cooking time. It was concluded that raw Mucuna utilis seeds contain high levels of anti-nutritional factors and may be unsuitable as feed ingredient but cooking reduced the anti-nutritive substances in the raw seeds.

Feeding trials lasting 28 days were conducted to investigate the nutritive value of raw and urea treated/toasted mucuna bean for broiler chicks. Raw mucuna bean contains 30.33% crude protein, 7.20% crude fibre, 6.9% ether extract and 5.0% ash. Mucuna bean seeds were divided into two batches. One batch was ground raw and the other batch was ground raw, treated with 3% of its weight of urea and toasted. Mucuna bean meals so produced were then used to formulate broiler chick diets incorporating these meals at 5% and 10% respectively. One hundred and fifty (150), 7-day-old Anak broiler chicks were randomly assigned to the five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD) and each treatment group was further sub-divided into three replicates. Feed intake of the birds was inconsistent with the treatments, increasing at 5% inclusion level and decreasing at 10% inclusion level (P

A 28-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of dietary inclusion of Mucuna seeds: soaked in Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ) solution, soaked in Ca(OH) 2 and cracked water-soaked and cooked, on the performance of broiler chicks. Two batches of raw Mucuna seeds were used. The first batch was soaked in 3% Ca(OH) 2 for 48 hours. Part of the soaked seeds were sun-dried and milled. The remaining part were cooked, sun-dried and milled. The second batch was cracked, soaked in water for 48 hours and cooked before sun drying and milling. Both meals were analyzed for their proximate composition and included in broiler starter diets at 20% dietary level respectively. The control diet contained no mucuna meal. Each diet was fed to a group of 40 broiler chicks in a completely randomized design replicated four times. At 20% dietary level containing Ca(OH) 2 soaked seed meal significantly (P

One hundred and twenty (120), 1 week old broiler chicken were randomly assigned to 4 treatment diets in a completely randomized experiment that lasted 49 days. The diets were made with soya bean based diet (D1) as control and treatment diets D2, D3, D4 containing graded levels (7.5%, 10%, 12.5%) of boiled Mucuna sloanei seed meal mix with enzyme(BME).Birdsfed diet 2 (7.5% BME) had higher final body weight 2216.70g. The test diets gave lower total feed intake value that was significantly (P0.05)among birds fed the treatmentdietsand thosefed the control diet for dressed weight percentage and back cut percentage. D2had cost/Kg weight gain and gross margin (N190.44 and N686.97 respectively) that were numerically higher than those of the control (N272.75 and N660.68) but statistically higher than those of, D3(N241.45 and N505.29) and D4 (N274.45 andN387.71). Mucuna seed meal mixed with enzyme in this experiment was 7.5% which performed better than the control in all the parameters considered and is therefore recommended for replacement of soya bean meal in the diet of broiler chickens. Inclusion of Mucuna sloanei seed meal from 10% and above will not yield good carcass that would be comparable to the control (soya bean based diet) Mucunasloanei The optimal level ofinclusion of qualitativereplacementof the soya bean meal with boiled

Nonrhizobial root nodule endophytic bacteria are known to have beneficial effects on host plants and are also considered contaminants or opportunists. They grow either individually or as a co-occupant of the root nodules of legumes. In this study, a nonrhizobial endophytic bacterial strain was isolated from the root nodules of the medicinal legume Mucuna utilis var. capitata L.; phenotypic, genotypic, and agricultural characterization was performed using a HiMedia kit and 16S rRNA sequencing. This strain showed tremendous seedling growth potential (30%), compared with the control, as well as a strong antagonistic nature against the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium udum when plant growth parameters were analyzed. The strain, identified by 16S rRNA as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, showed a multitude of plant-growth-promoting attributes both direct (IAA, phosphate solubilization) and indirect (ACC deaminase, siderophore) and enhanced the growth of host plant in field trials. This is the first report of the plant-growth-promoting potential of this endophytic bacterium from the nodules of M. utilis var. capitata L.; hence, it has potential for use in various biotechnological applications in various industries.

Leguminous crops not only supply N to the soil but also phosphorus (P). The availability of P in the soil however highly depends on the P fractions, which constitute the overall P pool in soils. A field study was carried out to determine the effect of five leguminous crops namely Sesbania, Cajanas, iron clay, lablab and mucuna on the P pool as signified by the P fractions in a degraded soil that have been cropped for thirty (30) years. Sesbania effectively increased the labile P form in the pool as well as Ca-P. Cajanas increased the labile P forms in the P pool as well as the moderately organic and inorganic P pools. Mucuna on the other hand was only effective in increasing the labile organic P form in the P pool of the degraded soil. However, lablab increased the two extracted non-labile P forms in the soil. These results in the overall signify that the P forms that constitute the P pool is dependent on the leguminous crop used for a fallow period. From this study, for an increase in the labile P forms in the P pool in a degraded soil, the use of leguminous crops such sesbania, cajanas and mucuna is recommended and this will invariably increase the plant available P level.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) resulting in senile plaques and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau protein resulting in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Mucuna beans (Mucuna pruriences (L.) DC. var. utilis) are unique plants containing 3%–9% L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Here we investigated the effect of the administration of Mucuna beans on AD prevention by feeding triple-transgenic mice (3×Tg-AD mice) with a diet containing Mucuna beans for 13 months. The levels of Aβ oligomers and detergent-insoluble phosphorylated tau decreased in the brain of mice fed with Mucuna beans (Mucuna group) compared to those of the Control group. Aβ accumulation and phosphorylated tau accumulation in the brain in the Mucuna group were also reduced. In addition, administration of Mucuna beans improved cognitive function. These results suggest that administration of Mucuna beans may have a preventive effect on AD development in 3×Tg-AD mice.

Double mutualism, that is, pollination and seed dispersal of the same plant species mediated by the same animal partners, is important but remains elusive in nature. Recently, rodent species were found as key pollinators (i.e. explosive openers) for some Mucuna species in (sub)tropical Asia, but no evidence has shown whether and how these rodents could also act as legitimate seed dispersers via scatter-hoarding for those producing large seeds. Here, my aim was to test the hypothesis that scatter-hoarding rodents could act as double mutualists for both pollination and seed dispersal of the same Mucuna species, that is, Mucuna sempervirens (Fabaceae). Based on camera-trapping survey at 2 locations with or without squirrel presence in the Dujiangyan subtropical forests, Southwest China, 7 mammals and birds were identified as explosive openers for M. sempervirens flowers, but Leopoldamys edwardsi (rats) and Paguma larvata (civets) were the main pollinators at the squirrel-absent site, while Callosciurus erythraeus (squirrels) were the main pollinators at the squirrel-present site. By tracking the fate of individually-tagged seeds over 5 years at each site, I provide the first evidence for seed-eating rodents as legitimate seed dispersers via scatter-hoarding of seeds in this world-wide plant genus, although dispersal services were slightly reduced at squirrel-absent site. More importantly, the dual roles of scatter-hoarding rodents as key pollinators and seed dispersers for the same Mucuna species have shown a clear relationship of double mutualism, and their key services may be essential for population conservation of these Mucuna species in human-disturbed landscapes.

The Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) is a peptidase with a significant role in the regulation of blood pressure. Within this work, a systematic review on the enzymatic preparation of Angiotensin-I-Converting Enzyme inhibitory (ACEi) peptides is presented. The systematic review is conducted by following PRISMA guidelines. Soybeans and velvet beans are known to have high protein contents that make them suitable as sources of parent proteins for the production of ACEi peptides. Endopeptidase is commonly used in the preparation of soybean-based ACEi peptides, whereas for velvet bean, a combination of both endo- and exopeptidase is frequently used. Soybean glycinin is the preferred substrate for the preparation of ACEi peptides. It contains proline as one of its major amino acids, which exhibits a potent significance in inhibiting ACE. The best enzymatic treatments for producing ACEi peptides from soybean are as follows: proteolytic activity by Protease P (Amano-P from Aspergillus sp.), a temperature of 37 °C, a reaction time of 18 h, pH 8.2, and an E/S ratio of 2%. On the other hand, the best enzymatic conditions for producing peptide hydrolysates with high ACEi activity are through sequential hydrolytic activity by the combination of pepsin-pancreatic, an E/S ratio for each enzyme is 10%, the temperature and reaction time for each proteolysis are 37 °C and 0.74 h, respectively, pH for pepsin is 2.0, whereas for pancreatin it is 7.0. As an underutilized pulse, the studies on the enzymatic hydrolysis of velvet bean proteins in producing ACEi peptides are limited. Conclusively, the activity of soybean-based ACEi peptides is found to depend on their molecular sizes, the amino acid residues, and positions. Hydrophobic amino acids with nonpolar side chains, positively charged, branched, and cyclic or aromatic residues are generally preferred for ACEi peptides.

The effect of fermentation on the proximate and anti-nutritional properties of rice flour enriched with mucuna beans was investigated in this study. The rice-mucuna beans flour blends were formulated in various ratios and fermented for 72 h. The predominant moulds isolated during the fermentation were Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Geotrichum candidum and Rhizopus stolonifera. After fermentation, the protein and ash contents of the flour blends increased while carbohydrate, lipid and fibre contents reduced. However, there was no notable difference in the moisture content of the fermented flour blends. Fermentation also caused a significant reduction in the tannin, phytate and oxalate contents of the rice-mucuna beans flour blends. Nutritional benefits of rice flour can be enhanced through enrichment with mucuna beans and fermentation process. Therefore, fermented rice-mucuna beans flour blends have potential application in managing protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) in developing countries. Key words: Fermentation, improvement, anti-nutrient, rice flour, mucuna beans.

At early stages of establishment of tropical plantation crops, inclusion of legume cover crops could reduce soil degradation due to erosion and nutrient leaching. As understory plants these cover crops receive limited irradiance and can be subjected to elevated CO2 at ground level. A glasshouse experiment was undertaken to assess the effects of ambient (450 &micro, mol mol&minus, 1) and elevated (700 &micro, 1) levels of [CO2] on growth, physiological changes and nutrient uptake of six perennial legume cover crops (Perennial Peanut, Ea-Ea, Mucuna, Pigeon pea, Lab lab, Cowpea) under low levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD, 100, 200, and 400 &micro, mol m&minus, 2 s&minus, 1). Overall, total and root dry biomass, total root length, specific leaf area, and relative growth rates were significantly influenced by levels of [CO2] and PPFD and cover crop species. With few exceptions, all the cover crops showed significant effects of [CO2], PPFD, and species on net photosynthesis (PN) and its components, such as stomatal conductance (gs) internal CO2 conc. (Ci), and transpiration (E). Increasing [CO2], from 450 to 700 &mu, 1 and increasing PPFD from 100 to 400 &mu, mol ּm&minus, 2 ּs&minus, 1 increased PN. Overall, the levels of [CO2], PPFD and species significantly affected total water use efficiency (WUETOTAL), instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEINST) and intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEINTR). With some exceptions, increasing levels of [CO2] and PPFD increased all the WUE parameters. Interspecific differences were observed with respect to macro-micro nutrient uptake and use efficiency. With a few exceptions, increasing levels of [CO2] from 450 to 700 &mu, 1 and PPFD from 100 to 400 &mu, 1 increased nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of all nutrients by cover crop species.

Agricultural sustainability is an increasing need considering the challenges posed by climate change and rapid human population growth. The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) may represent an excellent, new agriculture practice to improve soil quality while promoting growth and yield of important crop species subjected to water stress conditions. In this study, two PGPR strains with 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity were co-inoculated in velvet bean plants to verify the physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to progressive water stress. The results of our study show that the total biomass and the water use efficiency of inoculated plants were higher than uninoculated plants at the end of the water stress period. These positive effects may be derived from a lower root ACC content (-45 %) in water-stressed inoculated plants than in uninoculated ones resulting in lower root ethylene emission. Furthermore, the ability of inoculated plants to maintain higher levels of both isoprene emission, a priming compound that may help to protect leaves from oxidative damage, and carbon assimilation during water stress progression may indicate the underlining metabolic processes conferring water stress tolerance. Overall, the experimental results show that co-inoculation with ACC deaminase PGPR positively affects tolerance to water deficit, confirming the potential for biotechnological applications in water-stressed agricultural areas.

Peptidase inhibitors (PIs) are plant proteins that are found to be effective against various digestive peptidases of insects. The present study isolated and characterized a trypsin inhibitor from mature dry seeds of Mucuna pruriens and investigated its effect against Bactrocera cucurbitae larvae, a major pest of cucurbitaceae crops, for its inhibitory activity. The purified trypsin inhibitor from M. pruriens seeds gave a molecular weight of ~11 kDa on SDS-PAGE. M. pruriens trypsin inhibitor (MPTI) exhibited inhibitory effect on growth of melon fruit fly larvae (64-72 h old) as it resulted in prolongation of larval, pupal and total development period. There was a significant increase in larval mortality with increase in concentration of MPTI. Nutritional indices decreased significantly at all the concentrations of MPTI. Quantitative RT- PCR revealed that the mRNA expression level of trypsin and chymotrypsin genes was reduced while that of GST, esterases, AP, SOD and catalase were enhanced. It can therefore be inferred that MPTI can serve as a promising agent for biocontrol that can reduce the problems caused by fruit fly and other similar catastrophic pests. This study provides the fundamental information for future successful strategies for pest management.

The study was to evaluate the effects of different processing methods on the proximate and anti-nutritional contents of Mucuna pruriens leaf meal. The Mucuna pruriens leaves were collected and processed by Air-dried Mucuna Leaf Meal (AMLM), Soaked Mucuna Leaf Meal in Cold Water (CMLM), Soaked Mucuna Leaf Meal in Hot Water (HMLM) and Fermented Mucuna Leaf Meal (FMLM). Proximate analysis showed that FMLM had the highest value (25.94±0.94%), while the lowest recorded in the CMLM (23.00±0.00%). The analysis of anti-nutritional factors showed that hydrocyanic acid, oxalate, phytate, saponin, reduced significantly (P

Some plants can have a beneficial or harmful effect on the germination and growth of other plants. This is known as the allelopathic effect. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of velvet bean (Mucuna cineruim) aqueous extract on germination and initial seedling growth of three winter cereals: white oat (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). The experimental design was a completely randomized design, with four replications of five doses of aqueous extract (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%). Of the three cereals, rye had the greatest allelopathic effect on the test variables in the different aqueous extract concentrations, while the white oat had the highest mean germination time. Negative effects of velvet bean on the growth of wheat were observed only in the applications of high doses. It can be concluded that velvet bean exhibits great allelopathic potential to control the germination and seedling growth of the cereals. This effect was primarily observed in the white oat and rye under the applications of higher extract doses. Key words: Velvet bean, Avena sativa, Secale cereale, Triticum aestivum, germination, aqueous extract.

OBJECTIVE Examine the effects of supplementing bahiagrass hay (BG) with potentially anthelmintic quantities of hays of perennial peanut (PEA) or sericea lespedeza (LES) or seeds of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.; MUC) or papaya (PAP) on the intake and nutritive value (Experiment 1), and the performance and parasite burden (Experiment 2) of goats. METHODS In Experiment 1, 38 male goats (27.4±5.7 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to each of 5 treatments: i) BG alone and BG plus; ii) PEA; iii) LES; iv) MUC; and v) PAP. Goats were fed for ad libitum consumption and adapted to the diets for 14 d followed by 7 d of measurement. The PEA, LES, MUC (50%, 50%, and 10% of the diet dry matter [DM], respectively), and PAP (forced-fed at 10 g/d) were fed at rates that would elicit anthelmintic effects. In Experiment 2, goats remained in the same treatments but were allocated to 15 pens (3 pens per treatment) from d 22 to 63. All goats were infected with parasites by grazing an infected bahiagrass pasture from 0800 to 1500 h daily and then returned to the pens. RESULTS Dry matter intake tended to be greater in goats fed PEA and LES than those fed BG (757 and 745 vs 612 g/d, respectively). Digestibility of DM (59.5% vs 54.9%) and organic matter (60.8% vs 56.0%) were greater in goats fed MUC vs BG, respectively. In Experiment 2, feeding PAP, LES, and PEA to goats reduced nematode fecal egg counts by 72%, 52%, and 32%, reduced abomasal adult worm counts by 78%, 52%, and 42%, and decreased plasma haptoglobin concentrations by 42%, 40%, and 45% relative to feeding BG alone, respectively. CONCLUSION Supplementation with PEA, LES, and PAP decreased the parasite burden of goats but did not increase their performance. PAP was the most effective anthelmintic supplement.

Mucuna bracteata DC. ex Kurz is an important cover crop in plantations across the tropics. However, low germination rate and poor viability of Mucuna seeds pose significant challenges of using the seeds as starting material. To address these limitations, we have optimized seed germination conditions (such as scarification period, surface sterilization protocols and imbibition period) and in vitro propagation protocols for M. bracteata. We found that seeds treated with sulphuric acid for 30 min, imbibed for 6 h and incubated in dark conditions on a wet cotton roll (10 mL of sterile distilled water) supplemented with 0.1% activated charcoal produced the highest percentage of seed germination (44%) and seed vigor index. In vitro-derived cotyledonary nodes showed the highest number of shoots per explant (5.60) and rooting response (92.9%) when cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 4.44 µM 6-benzylaminopurine and 10.7 µM 1-naphthaleneacetic acid, respectively. Of the 100 rooted plantlets acclimatized, 89.0% survived after 4 weeks of transplanting. Single sequence repeat and flow cytometry analysis were performed to confirm the genetic fidelity of the plants. Our protocol offers, for the first time, a simple and effective seed germination and scalable propagation procedures for M. bracteata. Furthermore, we have also estimated the genome size (1448 ± 9 Mb) and DNA content (1.48 ± 0.01 pg) for M. bracteata that can be used for future cytogenetic studies on genetic diversity and gene exchange.

Crop residues and mulches release phytotoxic substances into the soil that affect plant growth. An experiment was conducted at the Uganda National Crop Resources Research Institute, Namulonge during 2016, to identify compounds in the stover of potted Cymbopogon nardus, Desmodium uncinatum, Oryza sativa, (NERICA 1), Mucuna pruriens and Zea mays (LONGE 6H) at fourty five days after germination. This marked near the average stationary phase for test crops’ growth when secondary metabolites are maximum. Organic compounds in the stover were extracted using solid phase micro-extraction. Samples were subjected to analysis using a 7890A Gas Chromatography system. Data files were transferred into a distinct folder and data was uploaded onto XCMS online platform for pair wise comparison and other related statistical analysis in the National institute of Science and Technology library. Ten terpenoids and one ester were identified in cymbopogon stover. Desmodium stover released six terpenoids and three phenols. Rice stover produced six terpenoids, three phenolic compounds and one ester. Mucuna stover released two terpenoids and four phenols. The maize stover produced five terpenoids and four phenolic compounds. Profiled compounds from cymbopogon, desmodium, rice, mucuna and maize could be responsible for the reported negative allelopathic effects such as auto-toxicity and suppression of companion crops expressed in agricultural ecosystems. Allelopathic activity of the profiled compounds should be confirmed through bioassays extracts and residues studies. The development and incorporation of the profiled metabolites into agricultural management system may lead to the production of bio-herbicides that reduce environmental degradation and increase crop productivity.

This investigation was undertaken to optimize the effective extraction of total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and antioxidant activity from the Mucuna macrocarpa (MM) beans. An ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technique with water as an effective solvent was proposed for the response surface methodology (RSM) optimization.A three-level, two-factor central composite design (CCD) was employed to reveal the optimal points of variables. Different extraction times (5, 10, 15 minutes) and ultrasonic power levels (10, 20, 30 W) were used for the optimization. The experimental runs given by the RSM were evaluated for TPC, TFC, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (RSA), and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) RSA and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP).The predicted times for maximum extraction of TPC (186.61 mg GAE gWater and ultrasonication were found to be an effective extraction solvent and technique. RSM was effectively employed to investigate the optimal process conditions for the maximum extraction of TPC, TFC, and antioxidant compounds from the MM beans. Further, MM beans can be explored as a prominent antioxidant source for the treatment of several disorders.

The use of antagonist plants is one of the most effective methods in the management of root–knot nematodes, and several plants recommended for this purpose are nitrogen-fixing plants that act as green manure because of the amount of mass produced. The mode of action of some species has already been investigated, but this has yet to be elucidated for many plants researched as antagonists. Thus, this study aimed to assess the penetration and reproduction of Meloidogyne javanica on the root system of three species of crotalaria, as well as Mucuna deeringiana, Cajanus cajan, Canavalia ensiformis, Macrotyloma axillare and Stylosanthes capitata, with soya bean used as control treatment. Thus, plants inoculated with the nematode were assessed 5, 10, 15 and 20 days after inoculation (DAI), for nematode penetration and development. After 60 days of inoculation, the nematode reproduction factor (RF) was assessed. The plants did not prevent M. javanica penetration, which differed at varying degrees, according to the time of assessment and the plant species investigated. However, the nematode reproduction was impaired in all the leguminous crops assessed, with (RF)

Two field experiments were carried out in Taveuni, Fiji to study the effects of mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) and grass fallow systems at 6 and 12 month durations on changes in soil properties (Experiment 1) and taro yields (Experiment 2). Biomass accumulation of mucuna fallow crop was significantly higher (P

This work aims at analyzing the bioactive and anti-nutritional compounds of edible and wild beans when unprocessed and malted. Qualitative screening of phytochemicals in the various bean samples was determined in ethanol and petroleum ether solvents. Results of the anti-nutritional compositions of unprocessed wild bean extracted with petroleum ether showed there were no traces of saponin and polyphenol, in Feregede and also in edible bean-IT07K-243-1-10 which also had no traces of saponin and tannin. After malting, saponin was totally absent in Pakala, Mucuna, IT97k-499-35, IT07k-243-1-10, and IT04k-333-2 respectively. Polyphenol was also found to be absent in IT07k-243-1-10. Mucuna has the highest phytic acid level (7.8867 ± 0.011) while Feregede has the lowest phytic acid level (2.9810 ± 0.004). Otili has the highest anti-trypsin level (12.001 ± 0.0013). This study showed varying levels of anti-nutrients on the respective bean samples when unprocessed but decreased marginally after malting. It was keenly noted that values derived, either before and after malting were not significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) from each other. In all, this study had further shown that malting process enhanced removal of anti-nutrients which invariably would lead to availability of nutrient for animal and human consumption.

This work was set out to assay for some minerals essential for healthy state and biochemical indices that underlined degenerative diseases in some edible bean cultivar and nearly extinct local wild bean. Against this backdrop, ash composition was determined before Na , K , Ca2 , Mg2 , Zn2 , Fe2 , Pb2 and Cd were determined by Flame Photometer and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) respectively. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Vitamin E and Vitamin C were also assayed to determine the scavenging ability of the bean samples. The proximate ash composition result of unprocessed and malted edible bean IT99K-573-2-1 had the highest ash content value of 6.90 ± 0.01 and 6.92 ± 0.01 respectively. In the bean samples Pb2 and Cd2 were not detected. The empirical mineral composition varies across both the wild and edible bean without significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) except IT07K-243-1-10 that had Ca2 to be significantly higher than other bean samples. K was found to be significantly higher in Feregede and IT07K-243-1-10 compared to other bean samples. Changes in the radical scavenging ability of the various sample in this study after malting, showed a slight reduction in DPPH content except for the edible beans—IT04K-333-2 and IT845-2246-4. Well, there was slight reduction of Vitamin E only in Otili, Mucuna and IT99K-573-1-1. Compared to others only Otili and IT845-2246-4 had slight reduction in Vitamin C after malting.

The high biomass production of certain cover crops species is due to their high absorption capacity and nutrients use efficiency. Its potential for biomass production it is important to obtain productive plants using nutritional information especially in environments with low nutrient apport. The objective was to evaluate the biomass accumulation, extraction and nutrient use efficiency by cover crops growing in a soil of low fertility. The treatments were arranged in four randomized blocks, composed of seven cover crops: sunn hemp, spectabilis, pigeon pea forage, pigeon pea arbore, lab lab, jack bean and mucuna. To evaluate dry mass accumulation, crop growth rate and leaf area index, six plants were used in different times: 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 and 105 days after sowing. The cover crops differed in vegetative cycle, dry mass accumulation, yield, extraction and nutrient use efficiency, with better performance presented by pigeon pea arbore. The cover crops are good recyclers of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, potassium and calcium and have potential for use in the cultivation systems in the Northeast of Brazil. La alta producción de biomasa de ciertas especies de cultivos de cobertura se debe a su alta capacidad de absorción y eficiencia en el uso de nutrientes. Su potencial para la producción de biomasa es importante para obtener plantas productivas utilizando información nutricional especialmente en ambientes con restricción de nutrientes. El objetivo fue evaluar la acumulación de biomasa, la extracción y la eficiencia del uso de nutrientes por cultivos de cobertura que crecen en suelos de baja fertilidad. Los tratamientos se organizaron en cuatro bloques al azar, compuestos por siete cultivos de cobertura: cáñamo sunn, spectabilis, forraje de guandú, arbore de guandú, lab lab, frijol rojo y mucuna. Para evaluar la acumulación de masa seca, la tasa de crecimiento del cultivo y el índice de área foliar se utilizaron seis plantas en diferentes tiempos: 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 y 105 días después de la siembra. Los cultivos de cobertura difirieron en ciclo vegetativo, acumulación de masa seca, rendimiento, extracción y eficiencia en el uso de nutrientes, con mejor desempeño presentado por el arbore de guandú. Los cultivos de cobertura son buenos recicladores de nutrientes, particularmente nitrógeno, potasio y calcio y tienen potencial para su uso en los sistemas de cultivo en la región Nordeste de Brasil. Alta produção de biomassa de certas espécies de plantas de cobertura deve-se a sua alta capacidade de absorção e eficiência no uso de nutrientes. Seu potencial para produção de biomassa é importante para a obtenção de plantas produtivas utilizando informações nutricionais, especialmente em ambientes com restrição de nutrientes. O objetivo foi avaliar o acúmulo de biomassa, a extração e a eficiência no uso de nutrientes por plantas de cobertura em solo de baixa fertilidade. Os tratamentos foram dispostos em quatro blocos ao acaso, compostos por sete plantas de cobertura: crotalária juncea, crotalária spectabilis, guandu forrageiro, guandu arbóreo, labe labe, feijão de porco e mucuna preta. Para avaliar o acúmulo de massa seca, a taxa de crescimento da cultura e o índice de área foliar, foram utilizadas seis plantas em diferentes épocas: 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 e 105 dias após a semeadura. As plantas de cobertura diferiram quanto ao ciclo vegetativo, acúmulo de massa seca, rendimento, extração e eficiência de uso de nutrientes, com melhor desempenho apresentado pelo feijão guandu arbóreo. As plantas de cobertura são boas recicladoras de nutrientes, principalmente nitrogênio, potássio e cálcio e têm potencial para uso nos sistemas de cultivo da região Nordeste do Brasil.

Mucuna pruriens L., commonly known as velvetbean or cow-itch, is a self-pollinated tropical legume of the family Fabaceae, known for its medicinal properties. The active principle L-DOPA extracted from the plant is a potent drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Although, it is hypothesized that a single step reaction can produce L-DOPA, the presence of optional routes makes the pathway more intricate. For instance, the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway, which leads to L-DOPA production, could occur by hydroxylation of tyrosine to L-DOPA either by polyphenol oxidase (PPO) or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Furthermore, Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes can also cause hydroxylation of tyrosine, resulting in L-DOPA synthesis. Therefore, the present investigation was focused on validating the step, which catalyzes the synthesis of L-DOPA, at the biochemical and molecular levels. Enzyme inhibitor studies showed significant inhibition of PPO enzyme with corresponding decrease in L-DOPA synthesis while TH and CYP inhibition had no effect on L-DOPA synthesis. Activity staining of non-denaturing PAGE gel for PPO and TH showed activity only to PPO enzyme. Following in-gel assay and tryptic digestion of the excised stained gel portion, peptide recovery and LC-MS/MS analysis were performed. Degenerate primers based on peptide sequence resulted in an 800bp amplicon. The subsequent sub-cloning, RACE analysis and BLAST search resulted in the isolation of full-length PPO coding sequence of 1800 bp. Structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequence revealed strong similarity to other plant PPO's like Glycine max, Vigna radiata and Vicia faba of the same family.

Ethno-pharmacological relevance Phytotherapeutic approaches have been widely proposed to improve male health. Despite the well-touted effects of tribulus (Tribulus terrestris L) on men's health, an optimal phytotherapy remains an elusive challenge. Aim of the review We sought to critically analyze the evidence in the phytotherapic literature beyond the effects of tribulus on testosterone (T) concentration and sperm analysis to also include indications for prostate health. Materials and methods A focused literature search was conducted to include studies published in Cochrane, Pubmed, and Web of Science databases between the years 2002 and 2018. Results The use of tribulus and maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp, Brassicaceae) were not scientifically supported to improve serum T levels in men. Moderate evidence supports the use of long Jack (Eurycoma longifolia Jack, Simaroubaceae), mucuna (Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC., Fabaceae), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, Solanaceae), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum L., Fabaceae), and black seeds (Nigella sativa L., Ranunculaceae) to increase total T and improve seminal parameters. Data suggests an increase in total T with the use of 5000 mg/d of powdered mucuna seed and ashwagandha root (151 and 143 ng/dL, respectively) over a 12-week period in patients with oligozoospermia. The use of mucuna was supported for patients with oligozoospermia to improve sperm parameters, with an increase of 83.3 million/mL observed after use of 5000 mg/d of powdered mucuna seed over a 12-week period. Evidence supporting the use of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens, (W.Bartram) Small, Arecaceae) to improve prostate health remains equivocal; whereas, evidence supporting the use of Pygeum africanum Hook.f., Rosaceae, Urtica dioica L., Urticaceae, beta-sitosterols, pollen extract, onion, garlic, and tomato, appears favorable and promising. Conclusion Scientific evidence supports the use of mucuna and ashwagandha as phytotherapics for improving serum T concentrations and semen parameters. Despite inconclusive evidence for use of tribulus as a T booster, it may provide advantageous effects on sperm parameters in men with idiopathic infertility. Nutraceutical strategies and some phytotherapics may also be effective to promote prostate health. Popular foodstuffs (onion, garlic, and tomato), nutraceutical agents (pollen extract and beta-sitosterols), and herbal medicines (Pygeum africanum and Urtica dioica) are rational approaches.

Transcriptome analysis and biochemical characterization of the putative l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) pathway in Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC have been performed. Spatio-temporal quantification of the putative l-DOPA biosynthetic pathway genes and its correlation with respective metabolites was established. l-tyrosine, l-DOPA, and dopamine from all plant parts were quantified. The de novo transcriptome analysis was performed using leaves of the selected M. pruriens mutant T-IV-9 during maturity. The putative l-DOPA pathway and its regulatory genes were retrieved from transcriptome data and the l-DOPA pathway was biochemically characterized. The spatial and temporal gene expression for the l-DOPA pathway was identified with respect to the chemical constituents. l-tyrosine, l-DOPA, and dopamine contents were highest in leaves during maturity (about 170-day-old plants). The polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was highly expressed in tender stems (230-fold higher as compared to seeds) as well as a high l-DOPA content. The PPO gene was highly expressed in leaves (3367.93 in FPKM) with a 79-fold increase compared to control plants during maturity. l-DOPA was found in every part with varied levels. The highest l-DOPA content was found in mature dried seed (3.18–5.8%), whereas the lowest amount was recorded in mature and dried leaves. The reproductive parts of the plant had a higher amount of l-DOPA content (0.9–5.8%) compared to the vegetative parts (0.2–0.91%). Various amino acid transporters and permeases were expressed in M. pruriens. The transcripts of dopa decarboxylase (DDC) were found in almost all parts of the plant, but its higher content was limited to the leaf.

Heavy metals in soil are naturally occurring but may be enhanced by anthropogenic activities such as mining. Bio-accumulation of heavy metals in the food chain, following their uptake to plants can increase the ecotoxicological risks associated with remediation of contaminated soils using plants. In the current experiment sugar cane straw-derived biochar (BC), produced at 700 °C, was applied to a heavy metal contaminated mine soil at 1.5%, 3.0% and 5.0% (w/w). Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) and Mucuna aterrima were grown in pots containing soil and biochar mixtures, and control pots without biochar. Pore water was sampled from each pot to confirm the effects of biochar on metal solubility, whilst soils were analyzed by DTPA extraction to confirm available metal concentrations. Leaves were sampled for SEM analysis to detect possible morphological and anatomical changes. The application of BC decreased the available concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn in 56, 50 and 54% respectively, in the mine contaminated soil leading to a consistent reduction in the concentration of Zn in the pore water (1st collect: 99 to 39 μg L−1, 2nd: 97 to 57 μg L−1 and 3rd: 71 to 12 μg L−1). The application of BC reduced the uptake of Cd, Pb and Zn by plants with the jack bean translocating high proportions of metals (especially Cd) to shoots. Metals were also taken up by Mucuna aterrima but translocation to shoot was more limited than for jack bean. There were no differences in the internal structures of leaves observed by scanning electron microscopy. This study indicates that biochar application during mine soil remediation reduce plant concentrations of potential toxic metals.

The genus Mucuna is an important medicinal herb and is extensively used in traditional Indian systems of medicine for various ailments. In vitro culture technique provides an alternative to plant propagation and germplasm conservation. Our aim was to study the biochemical changes occurring during regeneration of shoots (plantlets) from explants of two accessions of Mucuna pruriens, by monitoring the efficiency of nitrogen utilization and changes in levels of some hydrolytic enzymes. A rapid micropropagation system was developed using Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with BAP and IAA combined. In both the accessions, 3.0mg l-1 6-BAP, in combination with 0.2mg l-1 IAA, induced shoot buds and shoot elongation; however for multiple-shoot induction, a slightly higher concentration of cytokinin, i.e., 3.5mg l-16-BAP, in combination with 0.2mg l-1 IAA, was required. Results of the present study confirm an active growth of explants revealed by nitrate assimilation enzymes and hydrolytic enzymes. It is concluded that medium composition, growth regulator combination and culture incubation conditions are all vital in both the accessions of Mucuna pruriens for induction of in vitro plant regeneration.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dehulling and boiling on the physico-chemical, functional and pasting properties of two varieties of Mucuna bean flours. Dried beans sample was soaked in distilled water and divided into two sets from which one was manually dehulled. The dehulled and undehulled beans were boiled followed by drying and milling into flours. A third set of flour was obtained by direct milling of whole dry beans. The results revealed that the proximate composition changed significantly (p

The potency and competitive ability of indigenous rhizobia population in soil to nodulate a non-native legume host has been contentious especially in tropical Africa. This study examined the symbiotic compatibility between the indigenous rhizobia population and a non-native legume species. Soil samples were randomly collected with soil auger at 0 - 30 cm depth from agricultural fields southeast, Nigeria. The control soil samples were obtained from the Badagry beach which had no previous history of legume cultivation at the same depth. Mucuna pruriens seeds were aseptically sown in plastic pots containing these soils kept in the greenhouse for 10 weeks. The test pots were watered with sterile distilled water while the control pots received inorganic nitrogen (N) as source of N nutrient. The agronomic features of the host legume were evaluated after 10 weeks and the presence of appropriate Rhizobium inoculant contributed positively to biomass production in M. pruriens. The Mucuna microsymbiont was found to thrive under favorable climatic and edaphic factors for effective nodulation of the host legume. The microsymbiont was identified on yeast-extract mannitol salt agar (YEMA) containing bromothymol blue (BTB) as Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium species. This study convincingly showed the importance of rhizobia to soil fertility maintenance in sustainable agricultural practice as well as the adaptability of the legume microsymbiont to different ecological zones particularly the tropical humid environment. Key words: Inoculation, Mucuna pruriens, nodulation, organic agriculture, Rhizobium, soil fertility.

The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of including differently processed Mucuna pruriens seed meals as tropical feed resource on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, and economical efficiency of growing rabbits. Forty eight growing California rabbits aged 7 weeks, allocated in individual cages, were randomly distributed into four experimental groups of 12 rabbits each; the animals were assigned to four dietary treatments containing 25% of cooked Mucuna seed meal (MSM), alkaline treated MSM, or autoclaved MSM as well as the control diet that did not contain MSM. The results showed that cooking or autoclaving M. pruriens seeds did not affect the chemical composition of the seeds, however, the alkaline process reduced CP, aNDF, ADF, and EE content of the seeds by 6.03%, 6.38%, 17.74%, and 26.17%, respectively compared to the raw seeds. There was no significant difference between the control group and each of cooked and alkaline treated MSM regarding final body weight being 2066 vs. 2015 and 1999 g, respectively; but the autoclaved MSM was significantly lower by 4.85% than the control group. Autoclaved and alkaline treated MSM groups had significantly lower daily weight gain (29.0 and 29.8 g) than the control group (31.4 g), but the cooked MSM treatment (30.1 g) was not different from the control group. There were no significant differences regarding DM, OM, or GE digestibility among the experimental groups, the highest CP digestibility coefficient was recorded by the control and cooked MSM groups (0.75 and 0.72, respectively), whereas cooked MSM group showed significantly the highest digestibility coefficient of aNDF and ADF. No significant differences were detected among the treatments in the dressing percentage. The inclusion of cooked, alkaline treated or autoclaved MSM improved the economical efficiency by 63%, 53%, and 36%, respectively in comparison with the control group. The results of this study revealed that cooking treatment is the best method of processing Mucuna seeds; therefore 25% of cooked MSM could be included in the rabbit diets without any deleterious effect on performance or carcass traits with higher economical efficiency of growing rabbits.

Drought is one of the major constraints limiting agricultural production worldwide and is expected to increase in the future. Limited water availability causes significant effects to plant growth and physiology. Plants have evolved different traits to mitigate the stress imposed by drought. The presence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could play an important role in improving plant performances and productivity under drought. These beneficial microorganisms colonize the rhizosphere of plants and increase drought tolerance by lowering ethylene formation. In the present study, we demonstrate the potential to improve the growth of velvet bean under water deficit conditions of two different strains of PGPR with ACCd (1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylate deaminase) activity isolated from rainfed farming system. We compared uninoculated and inoculated plants with PGPR to assess: a) photosynthetic performance and biomass; b) ACC content and ethylene emission from leaves and roots; c) leaf isoprene emission. Our results provided evidence that under drought conditions inoculation with PGPR containing the ACCd enzyme could improve plant growth compared to untreated plants. Ethylene emission from roots and leaves of inoculated velvet bean plants was significantly lower than uninoculated plants. Moreover, isoprene emission increased with drought stress progression and was higher in inoculated plants compared to uninoculated counterparts. These findings clearly illustrate that selected PGPR strains isolated from rainfed areas could be highly effective in promoting plant growth under drought conditions by decreasing ACC and ethylene levels in plants.

Background The medicinal legume Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. has attracted attention worldwide as a source of the anti-Parkinson’s drug L-Dopa. It is also a popular green manure cover crop that offers many agronomic benefits including high protein content, nitrogen fixation and soil nutrients. The plant currently lacks genomic resources and there is limited knowledge on gene expression, metabolic pathways, and genetics of secondary metabolite production. Here, we present transcriptomic resources for M. pruriens, including a de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation, as well as differential transcript expression analyses between root, leaf, and pod tissues. We also develop microsatellite markers and analyze genetic diversity and population structure within a set of Indian germplasm accessions. Results One-hundred ninety-one million two hundred thirty-three thousand two hundred forty-two bp cleaned reads were assembled into 67,561 transcripts with mean length of 626 bp and N50 of 987 bp. Assembled sequences were annotated using BLASTX against public databases with over 80% of transcripts annotated. We identified 7,493 simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs, including 787 polymorphic repeats between the parents of a mapping population. 134 SSRs from expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) were screened against 23 M. pruriens accessions from India, with 52 EST-SSRs retained after quality control. Population structure analysis using a Bayesian framework implemented in fastSTRUCTURE showed nearly similar groupings as with distance-based (neighbor-joining) and principal component analyses, with most of the accessions clustering per geographical origins. Pair-wise comparison of transcript expression in leaves, roots and pods identified 4,387 differentially expressed transcripts with the highest number occurring between roots and leaves. Differentially expressed transcripts were enriched with transcription factors and transcripts annotated as belonging to secondary metabolite pathways. Conclusions The M. pruriens transcriptomic resources generated in this study provide foundational resources for gene discovery and development of molecular markers. Polymorphic SSRs identified can be used for genetic diversity, marker-trait analyses, and development of functional markers for crop improvement. The results of differential expression studies can be used to investigate genes involved in L-Dopa synthesis and other key metabolic pathways in M. pruriens. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3780-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal (FMSM) on growth, carcass characteristics and blood indices of finisher broilers. Fermented Mucuna Sloanei seeds were processed into meal and analyzed for proximate and phytochemical compositions. The meal was then used to make four broiler finisher diets at 0, 5.0, 10.0, and 15.0% inclusion levels, respectively. Each diet was fed to a group of 30 finisher broilers at 5 weeks old for 28 days using completely randomized design. Each group was further subdivided into three replicates of 10 birds each. Average daily feed intake and average daily weight gain decreased significantly (p < 0.05) as the dietary levels of Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal increased. Feed conversion ratio increased significantly as the dietary levels of Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal increased. Cost of production was significantly increased (p < 0.05) as Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal increased. The dressed weight and breast weight were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) with dietary inclusion of Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal. The heart, the liver and gizzard were significantly increased (p < 0.05) as the inclusion of Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal increased. The haemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin concentration, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cell and the differentials (lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils) were not affected by treatments (p > 0.05). The urea concentration and the liver enzymes (alanine amino transaminase, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase) were not affected by dietary treatment. Blood indices affected were red blood cell, total proteins and creatinine which decreased significantly (p < 0.05) as the dietary inclusion of Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal increased. Therefore, replacement of soya bean with Fermented Mucuna Sloanei Meal should not exceed 5% dietary level.Key words: blood indices, carcass, fermented mucuna, growth

Objective:To investigate whether Mucuna pruriens (MP), a levodopa-containing leguminous plant growing in all tropical areas worldwide, may be used as alternative source of levodopa for indigent individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) who cannot afford long-term therapy with marketed levodopa preparations.Methods:We investigated efficacy and safety of single-dose intake of MP powder from roasted seeds obtained without any pharmacologic processing. Eighteen patients with advanced PD received the following treatments, whose sequence was randomized: (1) dispersible levodopa at 3.5 mg/kg combined with the dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor benserazide (LD+DDCI; the reference treatment); (2) high-dose MP (MP-Hd; 17.5 mg/kg); (3) low-dose MP (MP-Ld; 12.5 mg/kg); (4) pharmaceutical preparation of LD without DDCI (LD−DDCI; 17.5 mg/kg); (5) MP plus benserazide (MP+DDCI; 3.5 mg/kg); (6) placebo. Efficacy outcomes were the change in motor response at 90 and 180 minutes and the duration of on state. Safety measures included any adverse event (AE), changes in blood pressure and heart rate, and the severity of dyskinesias.Results:When compared to LD+DDCI, MP-Ld showed similar motor response with fewer dyskinesias and AEs, while MP-Hd induced greater motor improvement at 90 and 180 minutes, longer ON duration, and fewer dyskinesias. MP-Hd induced less AEs than LD+DDCI and LD−DDCI. No differences in cardiovascular response were recorded.Conclusion:Single-dose MP intake met all noninferiority efficacy and safety outcome measures in comparison to dispersible levodopa/benserazide. Clinical effects of high-dose MP were similar to levodopa alone at the same dose, with a more favorable tolerability profile.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT02680977.

Green manuring is recognized as a viable alternative to improve nutrient cycling in soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytomass production and nutrient accumulation in shoots of the summer green manures jack bean [Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC.], dwarf pigeon pea (Cajanus cajanvar var. Flavus DC.), dwarf mucuna [Mucuna deeringiana (Bort) Merr] and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), under nitrogen fertilization and/or inoculation with N-fixing bacteria. A split plot design was arranged with the four Fabaceae species as main plots and nitrogen fertilization (with and without) and inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria (with and without) as the subplots, in a 2² factorial. The experiment was arranged as a randomized complete block design with four replications. In the conditions of this trial, the sunn hemp had the highest production of shoot phytomass (12.4 Mg ha-1) and nutrient accumulation, while the dwarf mucuna had the lowest production of shoot phytomass (3.9 Mg ha-1) and nutrient accumulation. The results showed no effect of nitrogen fertilization or inoculation with N-fixing bacteria on the production of shoot phytomass and nutrient accumulation, except for inoculation without nitrogen fertilization, resulting in greater P accumulation (p

Mucuna is a well-known medicinal and food plant widely exploited for its seed pods and leaves in many tropical countries. The drug L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) extracted from seeds of Mucuna plant has been commonly used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In the present study, a new species of Mucuna, M. sanjappae Aitawade et Yadav from north-Western Ghats of India, has been analyzed for the presence of L-DOPA and a reasonable level of this drug (7.3 %) was detected. The necessary biochemical characterization of the seeds extract of this plant showed nutritional and anti-nutritional components. Simultaneously, moisture, ash, dietary fiber, calorific value, nitrate and mineral contents of seeds were also determined. This new plant species will be a potential candidate for extraction of L-DOPA and will be a good addition to the existing natural sources of anti-Parkinson’s drug since demand for L-DOPA is continuously escalating.

Mucuna pruriens commonly known as cow-age or cowitch or velvet bean or Alkushi, is a medicinal plant traditionally used in Indian medicine belongs to the family Leguminosae. M. pruriens seed is a natural source of the amino acid L-3,4-dihydroxy phenyl alanine (L-DOPA), the direct precursor to the neuro transmitter dopamine which is used widely in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Serotonin, oxitriptan, nicotine, N,N-DMT, and bufotenine are the other chemicals found in M. pruriens in addition to L-DOPA. According to Ancient Ayurvedic literature Mucuna is used as a potent aphrodisiac, geriatric tonic and vermifuge. It is also used for the treatment of menstruation disorders, constipation, edema, fever, tuberculosis, etc. In addition, Mucuna is also grown as food crop, ornamental plant, living mulch and green manure crop. The reviews summarize the botany, uses, phyto constituents and pharmacological activities of M. pruriens. Key words: Mucuna pruriens, uses, phytoconstituents, L-3,4-dihydroxy phenyl alanine (L-DOPA), phytochemistry, pharmacology.

The proteins and trypsin inhibitors were isolated from the seeds of different varieties/accessions of an underutilized legume, Mucuna. The crude protein content of all the germplasms of Mucuna is varied from 15% - 26%, showed little variation and contain higher crude protein when compared with other Mucuna species reported earlier and the pulse crops commonly consumed in India. The seeds of all the varieties of Mucuna exhibited trypsin inhibitor activity. The trypsin inhibitor activity varied from 11 - 14 TIA/mg of protein. Not much variation was observed in trypsin inhibitory activities in soaked seeds compared to dry seeds. Germination of Mucuna pruriens has been carried out and the change in the protein content and trypsin inhibitors were monitored. The protein content of the endosperm increased up to 72 hrs of germination and then decreased. The trypsin inhibitory activity decreased with increase in germination time. The trypsin inhibitor activity was decreased from 14.81 TIA/mg to 2.62 TIA/mg (82% reduction in the trypsin inhibitor activity) after 144 hrs germination.

Mucuna pruriens L. (Fabaceae) is a popular Indian medicinal plant, which has long been used in traditional Ayurvedic system of Indian medicine for diseases including parkinsonism. The seeds of M. pruriens contain 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-L-alanine (L-dopa) as a major constituent, an intermediate precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. L-dopa extracted from seeds of Mucuna is more effective as drug than the synthetic counterpart. The plant is widely distributed throughout the India and in other parts of the tropics including Central and South America. The present study was aimed to screen thirty-eight accessions of Mucuna germplasm collected from different geographical regions of India for L-dopa content, an effective drug used for Parkinson’s disease. The L-dopa content in seeds of M. pruriens was quantitatively analyzed by high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) at 280 nm wavelength. Results indicated wide variability among thirty-eight accessions of M. pruriens for seed characters like seed colour, size and shape. The L-dopa content in seeds of M. pruriens ranged between 3.29 and 5.44 % (on dry weight basis) among different germplasm collections augmented from various parts of India. Promising accessions identified having high L-dopa content were IC551549 (5.44 %), IC551514 (5.41 %), IC331536 (5.40 %), IC552857 (5.36 %), IC385844 (5.32 %) and IC439197 (5.32 %). Due to the economic importance of the drug, these promising M. pruriens accessions can be exploited for large scale cultivation for their pharmacological important constituents mainly L-dopa content.

A comparative study on the production of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) was carried out in cell cultures of two Mucuna species by elicitor treatment and precursor feeding. The influence of elicitors and the precursor molecule on L-DOPA production, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and tyrosinase activities was also studied. Callus cultures were initiated in Mucuna pruriens L. and Mucuna prurita H. on MS medium supplemented with BAP and IAA at different concentrations. Suspension cultures were established in MS liquid medium supplemented with BAP, IAA, the elicitors methyl jasmonate, chitin and pectin or the precursor L-tyrosine at different concentrations for L-DOPA production. Compared to the controls, several-fold increases in L-DOPA concentration were observed in elicitor-treated and precursor-fed suspension cultures of both plant species. L-DOPA concentrations were comparatively higher in precursor-fed cultures than those receiving elicitor treatments. A parallel increase in tyrosinase and PPO levels was also observed. Loss of cell viability was observed at high concentrations of elicitor-treated cultures, whereas L-tyrosine did not cause any cell death. Compared to elicitor treatments, precursor feeding resulted in higher concentrations of L-DOPA production and tyrosinase activity. The efficacy of L-DOPA production was found to be higher for suspension cultures of M. pruriens compared to M. prurita in all treatments.

The objective was to evaluate the germination and sanitary quality of mucuna (Stizolobium spp.) white and black used as green manure in Quevedo, Ecuador. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Plant, Universidade Técnica Estatal de Quevedo-UTEQ. The seeds of mucuna white and black were from the experimental field in La María 2010 harvest. The work consisted of two treatments for each type of seed of mucuna (white and black), totaling four. In each Petri plates were plated five (5) seeds, ten (10) plates per treatment, totaling 50 in each. Transferred to a growth chamber (incubator) control temperature of 25 °C ± 2 without photoperiod. We evaluated the physiological quality (germination for six days and rate (r) of growth of the radicle) and health (incidence of pathogens) its seeds. The germination was between 68 (BDA medium) and 40% (filter paper) for white velvet, among both black velvet, half were between 70 (BDA medium) and 34 (paper). The pathogens found in seeds of white and black velvet, were the fungi Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillum sp., as well as an unidentified bacterium, with averages for each of 10, 29, 30 and 33% incidence, respectively. O objetivo foi avaliar a qualidade sanitária e germinação de sementes de mucuna (Stizolobium spp.) branca e preta utilizadas como adubo verde em Quevedo, Equador. O experimento foi realizado no Laboratório de Microbiologia Ambiental e Vegetal da Universidade Técnica Estatal de Quevedo-UTEQ. As sementes de mucuna branca e preta foram provenientes do campo experimental La María na safra 2010. O trabalho foi composto de dois tratamentos para cada tipo de semente de mucuna (branca e preta), totalizando quatro. Em cada placa de Petri foram plaqueadas cinco (5) sementes, sendo dez (10) placas por cada tratamento, totalizando 50 em cada. Transferiu-se para uma câmara de crescimento (incubadora) com controle de temperatura de 25 ºC ±2 sem fotoperíodo. Foi avaliada a qualidade fisiológica (germinação aos seis dias e taxa (r) de crescimento da radícula) e sanitária (incidência de patógenos) das sementes. A germinação esteve entre 68 (meio de cultura BDA) e 40% (papel filtro) para mucuna branca, entre tanto, para mucuna preta, as mesmas ficaram entre 70 (meio de cultura BDA) e 34% (papel filtro). Os patógenos encontrados em sementes de mucuna branca e preta, foram os fungos Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillum sp., assim como uma bactéria não identificada, com médias de 10, 29, 30 e 33% de incidência, respectivamente.

Most soils in Nigeria are known to be slightly acidic and very low in plant-available P. These soils need to be fertilized for optimal crop production but cost and scarcity of mineral P fertilizers shifted attention to making direct application of indigenous phosphate rock viable alternative. Laboratory and greenhouse studies were carried out to monitor the effect of the decomposition of legume biomass on the solubilization of Ogun phosphate rock (OPR) on slightly acidic soils. Surface soil samples collected from three experimental sites in SW Nigeria were used. The fertilizer treatments were four rates of P as OPR (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg ha–1) and one rate of triple superphosphate (TSP, 40 kg P ha–1). The legume treatments were cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L Walp) and mucuna (Mucuna puriens L). Rice (Oryza sativa) was used in the greenhouse study as the test crop. Soil samples were analyzed for soluble P and pH after 2, 4, 6, and 10 months of incubation in the laboratory while plant tissues collected from greenhouse study were analyzed for P. In the incubation study, significant increase in water-soluble P was observed when legume biomass was incorporated with phosphate rock at p < 0.05. Highest value in rice dry-matter yield was recorded with pots treated with mucuna and TSP, also treatment combination of cowpea and OPR significantly increased rice dry-matter yield by 16% over pots treated with cowpea biomass alone and 42% over control pot (no legume biomass and OPR in the green house (p < 0.05). Thus incorporation of legume biomass significantly increased rate of OPR solubilization.

Physicochemical characteristics and functional properties of vitabosa flour (Mucuna deeringiana) and soybean flour (Glycine max) were determined. Oil absorption capacity was higher in vitabosa. Water absorption capacity was higher in soy and it was affected by the change in the ionic strength of the medium. Emulsifying Activity (EA) decreased with increasing concentration of flour, while Emulsifying Stability (ES) showed an increased. EA and ES of flours have more ionic strength in the range between 0.0 and 0.4 M, but it is reduced afterwards with the higher concentration of NaCl. Foaming stability varied with the concentration of flour solution reaching maximum values of 39 and 33% for vitabosa and soybean, respectively at 10% flour concentration.Vitabosa had the best foaming capacity (56% to 0.6 M) compared with soybeans (47% to 0.4 M). Maximum capacity of gelation was observed in vitabosa at 10% flour concentration. Increases in ionic strength of the flour solution, at low salt concentrations (

The present work was carried out to evaluate the nutritive quality (proximate and antinutrients composition) of vegetable milks prepared from whole and dehulled mucuna bean flours. Casein and mucuna milk diets were fed to rats (four weeks old; n = 8 per group) for 28 days to determine protein efficiency ratio (PER), net protein efficiency ratio (NPER), true and apparent digestibility (TD and AD, respectively), organ-to-body weight ratios and hematological parameters. The experimental design was a factorial design with two variety of mucuna (cochinchinensis and veracruz) and two treatments (whole and dehulled beans). Protein, total sugar, dry matter and ash-content of mucuna milks ranged from 6.40 to 12.13 g/100 mL, 10.52 to 13.08 g/100 mL, 8.59 to 12.88 g/100 g and 0.31 to 0.92 g/100 g, respectively. Milks from dehulled flours had lower contents of tannins (80-87.08 %), phytates (76.67-78.16 %) and L-Dopamine (44.45-66.66 %) than that from whole flours. The PER of dehulled mucuna diets were 22.76-21.74 %, but negative PER and low NPER was observed for whole mucuna milk diets. TD for dehulled mucuna milk (85.15-85.96 %) were higher and similar to casein when compared to that of whole mucuna milk (47.87-51.17 %). Rats fed with diets containing whole mucuna milk lost weight and had higher kidney weight. In addition, the rats fed with milk from whole mucuna flours showed significantly lower levels of lymphocytes, granulocytes, red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit than that fed with dehulled mucuna milk.

Mucuna pruriens (L). Dc is a plant of the Fabaceae family, commonly known as velvet bean, itchy bean, chiporro bean, mucuna, among others. This plant has several medicinal properties, including its potential to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). International studies have shown that this plant surpasses the benefits of the substance levodopa in the treatment of PD. Taking into account that nerve cells are highly sensitive to oxidative substances, this study evaluated the antioxidant activity of mucuna and compared it to that of levodopa. The plant seeds' phenolic concentration was quantified by using the Folin-Denis reagent and the antioxidant activity assays were performed by using three different methods: the reduction of the phosphomolybdenium complex, the reduction of radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and the formation of radical monocation ABTS•+, from the acid [2-2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)]. Results showed that M. pruriens presents high antioxidant capacity, although not superior to isolated levodopa antioxidant capacity. Therefore, further studies should be performed to elucidate the activity of this plant in humans.A Mucuna pruriens (L). Dc é uma planta da família Fabaceae, conhecida popularmente como feijão-veludo, fava-coceira, feijão chiporro, mucuna, entre outros. Possui diversas propriedades medicinais, entre elas, o tratamento da doença de Parkinson (DP). Estudos internacionais vêm demonstrando que essa planta possui atividade superior à do fármaco levodopa para o tratamento da DP. O presente estudo avaliou a possibilidade da atividade antioxidante dessa planta auxiliar nesses resultados, uma vez que as células nervosas são altamente sensíveis às substâncias oxidativas. Para isto foi quantificada a concentração fenólica da semente da mucuna e os testes empregados para a avaliação da atividade antioxidante foram o teste de redução do complexo fosfomolibdênio, redução do radical 1,1-difenil-2-picril-hidrazil (DPPH•) e a formação do radical monocatiônico ABTS•+, proveniente do ácido [2-2'-azino-bis(3-etil-benzolina-6-sulfonado)]. Essa análise demonstrou que M. pruriens possui alta capacidade antioxidante, no entanto, não superior à levodopa isolada e, portanto, novos estudos devem ser realizados para a elucidação da atividade dessa planta em seres humanos.