Mucuna Pruriens: Benefits, Uses and Dosage

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Mucuna pruriens, commonly known as velvet bean, is a legume that is native to tropical regions around the world. The word Kapi means monkey and kachhu mean itching, it causes severe pruritus or itching to the monkey when they sit on this plant.

It also causes itching in humans when it touches their skin.
Mucuna is a famous vrishya (aphrodisiac) drug mentioned in Ayurvedic texts from the Charaka and Sushruta Samhita periods. It is an established herbal drug used for the management of male infertility, and nervous disorders and as an aphrodisiac. It has been shown that its seeds have the potential of substantial medicinal importance. Traditionally, this plant is used in Parkinson's disease.

It is a tropical legume and is commonly known as velvet bean or cowhage or cowitch. It is one of the most popular medicinal plants in India and is a constituent of more than 200 Indigenous drug formulations. It showed good improvement in seminal parameters like sperm count, the volume of semen, pH of semen, and motility of sperm.

2. Vernacular Names

• Assamese – Bandar Kekowa
• Bengali – Alkusa, Alkushi
• Kannada – Nasugunni
• Chinese – Ci mao li dou
• Gujrati – Kivanch
• Malayalam – Nayikuruma, Shoriyanam
• French – Pois mascate
• Oriya – Baidanka
• Tamil – Punaikkali, Poonaikkate
• Telugu – Dulagondi, Pilliadagu
• Thai – Mah Mui
• Punjabi – Kawanchi, Gugli, Kavanch

3. Synonyms

• Adhyanda – The seeds of this plant resemble testicles.
• Ajada – The seeds are potent aphrodisiacs.
• Kandura – Hair present on its fruit produces intense itching.
• Pravrushyani – The plants grow in the rainy season.
• Vanashukari – It grows wildly.
• Languli – Legumes are shaped like monkey’s tail.

4. Classification

• Charaka Samhita – Balya, Purishvirajaneeya
• Sushrut Samhita – Vidarigandhadi
• Ashtanga Sangraha - Vidaryadi gana
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhayadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Aushadhi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
• Sodhala Nighantu - Guduchyadi varga

5. Distribution

Velvet Bean (Mucuna pruriens) is cultivated and distributed across various regions worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical climates. It grows naturally right from the lower Himalayan range to the entire tropical plains of India. It is cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. It is also found in tropical regions, especially Africa, the West Indies, tropical America, the Pacific Islands, and the United States.

6. Morphology

It is an annual herbaceous creeper plant that can reach 15 m in length. Young plants are almost covered with fuzzy hairs while older ones are completely free of hairs.

Leaves – The leaves are trifoliate, alternate or spiraled, gray-silky beneath. Leaflets are membranous, broadly ovate, elliptic, or rhomboid ovate, and unequal at the base, terminal leaflets are smaller, lateral, and very unequal-sized, petioles are long and silky.

Flowers – Flowers are dark purple, white, or lavender, 6 to 30 in number, pealike but larger with distinctive curved petals, and occur in drooping racemes.

Fruits – Longitudinal pods are curved, 4 to 6 seeds, and about 4 to 12 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide, sigma-shaped, densely clothed with persistent pale brown or gray bristles that cause a severe itch if they meet skin. The husk is very hairy and carries up to seven seeds. The chemical compound responsible for the itch is a protein, mucunain. Young fruit is green, and it turns brown when it matures.

Seeds – The seeds are flattened, uniform, ellipsoid, shiny black, 1 to 1.9cm long, 0.8 to 1.3 cm wide, and 4 to 6.5cm thick. Hilum is prominent white to pale yellow. This plant can be propagated through seeds.

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7. Types

Wild and cultivated are the two types of sources of obtaining the Mucuna pruriens, the former variety has better utility in clinical practice than cultivated. According to the color of the seeds, two types of Mucuna pruriens are explained by some authors, Sveta Beej ( White Seed) and Krishna Bija (Black Seed).

8. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 1%
• Total Ash – Not more than 5%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 1%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 3%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 23%
• Fixed oil - Not less than 3%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 2001)

9. Chemical Constituent

Mucuna is a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, lipids, fiber, minerals, and amino acids.

Seeds – They contain high concentrations of L-Dopa (about 3.1-6.1%) with a trace amount of 5-hydroxy tryptamine, nicotine, bufotenine, and beta-carboline. Other constituents are mucunine, mucunadine, mucunanidine, prurieninine, tryptamine, and steroid flavonoids. L-Dopa is present in seeds as well as in the stem, leaves and roots.

Seed Oil – Stearic, palmitic, myristic, linoleic acids and sterol.

Hair – Amines such as 5-hydroxy tryptamine, mucuanain.

Leaf – It contains about 0.5% L-Dopa, 0.006% dimethyl, tryptamine and 0.0025% 5-MeO-DMT.

10. Actions

It is highly aphrodisiac, increases body mass, and strength, pacifies vata, galactagogue, and pacifies rakta dosha. The seeds are astringent, laxative, anthelmintic, aphrodisiac, and tonic. They are useful in gonorrhea, sterility, vitiated conditions of vata, and general debility.

• Dohakarma – Vata pittahara, Kapha hara
• Bhavaprakash – Seed is vatahara
• Dhatukarma – Vrishya, Brimhana, Balya
• Malakarma – Mutrala

11. Nutritional Value of Dopa Mucuna

Mucuna pruriens seeds are a good source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Here is a breakdown of their nutritional value per 100 grams of dried seeds:

• Calories: 377 kcal
• Protein: 20.86 g
• Carbohydrates: 58.38 g
• Fiber: 20.4 g
• Fat: 5.81 g

Minerals: calcium (215 mg), iron (5 mg), magnesium (251 mg), phosphorus (499 mg), potassium (1324 mg), sodium (29 mg), zinc (3.96 mg)

Vitamins: thiamin (0.56 mg), riboflavin (0.15 mg), niacin (2.54 mg), vitamin B6 (0.49 mg), folate (120 µg).

12. Ayurvedic properties of Velvet Bean

Rasa (Taste): It has astringent (Kashaya) and sweet (Madhura) tastes.

Virya (Potency): It is hot in nature (Ushna).

Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): It has sweet taste (Madhura).

Rasa: Madhura, Tikta.

13. Health Benefits

The main use of this herb is to treat the symptomatic effects of Parkinson's disease. The seeds are traditionally used as a nervine tonic, emmenagogue, astringent, aphrodisiac, spermatorrhea, depressive neurosis, urinary troubles, leucorrhea, and paralysis. The hairs of the pods are vermifuge, mild vesicant, and treated for roundworm infections and diseases of the liver and gallbladder. The root is used in vaginal laxity.

The chief benefits of Mucuna pruriens are improved sleep, reduced body fat, decreased cellulite, decreased wrinkles, improved skin texture and appearance, increased bone density, reversal of osteoporosis, increased lean muscle mass, improved mood sense of well-being, enhanced libido and sexual performance, increased energy levels, improved cholesterol profile, regeneration of organs and dramatically strengthening of immune system.

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14. Therapeutic Uses

External Use

Rheumatic Pain – Bark powder mixed with dry ginger for rubbing over painful joints.

Internal Use

For Aphrodisiac

Take wheat flour and Mucuna seeds powder is cooked with milk and then is taken with ghee followed by intake of milk. One tablet of Vanari gutika with milk is taken twice a day for aphrodisiac action. Powder of Mucuna and Talmakhana seeds powder and sugar are taken with warm milk to increase semen.

For Worm Infestation

The fruit hairs of Mucuna are kept within the pulp of jaggery and swallowed twice or thrice daily after anointing the lips and mouth with ghee. It cures worms, gastroenteritis, and hematemesis.

For Neuromuscular Disease

Intake of decoction of Mucuna for 1 month helps to regain the strength of arms.

15. Part can be Used & Doses

• Parts – Seeds, roots, hair of fruit.
• Doses – Seed Powder – 3 to 6gm. Decoction of root – 50 to 100ml. Hair – 125mg.

Dopa Mucuna Seed Salad

Yield – 2

Ingredients

• Mucuna Pruriens Seed (Overnight soaked and boiled) – 1 ½ cup
• Tomato - diced – 1 large
• Zucchini – diced – 1 medium
• Carrot – coarsely grated – 2
• Yellow & Red capsicum – 1 each
• Spring Onions – chopped - 2 stalks
• Avocado – ripped – 1 small
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp
• Oregano – 3 pinches
• Parsley – 2 pinches
• Parmesan cheese – grated – 1tsp
• Black pepper – ½ tsp
• Garlic – finely chopped – 1tsp
• Seasoned Salt  – ½ tsp or as per taste
• Lemon Juice – ½ tsp

Method of making Dopa Mucuna Seed Salad

1. Heat a pan on low flame, and add olive oil and garlic. Sauté garlic for 2-3 minutes and take off the pan from heat.
2. Take a bowl mixing bowl, add all ingredients except parmesan cheese and it well, add garlic and olive oil, and mix it again.
3. Transfer this salad to a serving plate and garnish it with parmesan cheese.
4. Serve with toasted garlic bread, you can also add the boiled pasta.

Mucuna Pruriens Seed Curry

Yield - 2

Ingredients

• Mucuna Pruriens Seed (Overnight soaked and boiled) – 1 ½ cup
• Tomato - diced – 1 large
• Boiled Potato – 1 large (optional)
• Ginger, Garlic, Green Chili Paste – 1 ½ tsp
• Onion Paste – 1 tsp
• Curry Powder – 1 tsp
• Garam Masala – ½ tsp
• Low fat cream – ½ tsp
• Salt – 1tsp (or according to the taste)
• Fresh Chopped Coriander – 1 tsp
• Cooking Oil – 1tbsp
• Lemon Juice – ½ tsp
• Water – 1 ½ cup

Method of making Mucuna Pruriens Seed Curry

1. Take a wok (any), put it on the heat on medium flame, add ginger, garlic, and green chili paste and stir for 3 minutes.
2. Add onion paste and cook for 32 minutes, then add tomato and salt and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add curry powder and mix with tomatoes. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add mucuna pruriens seed and boiled potatoes, mix it well with gravy and cook for 2 minutes. Then add water, stir, and cover the lid for 5 minutes on low flame, Stir occasionally.
5. Now curry is done, turn off the gas. Add cream stir and then add lemon juice, stir it again.
6. Put this curry in a serving bowl and garnish it with fresh coriander.
7. You can eat this curry with boiled rice, bread, pasta, and stir-fried noodles.

17. Potential Side Effects and Precautions

The hair of the cowhage bean pod is a strong irritant and can cause severe itching, burning, and swelling if it is taken by mouth or applied to the skin. Higher dose may cause aggression, hallucinations, severe depression.

18. Formulations

Vanari gutika, Mushalyadi pachana, Bramha rasayana, Vrisya pupalika, Maha paisachika Ghrita, Swadamstradi Ghrita, Tryusannadya Ghrita, Vrishya yoga pupalika, Kapikachu churna, Nagabala ghrita, Vidaryadi ghrita.