Introduction to Mucuna pruriens

Velvet bean, or Mucuna pruriens, is a leguminous vine (bean plant) belonging to the Fabaceae family of plants. Velvet bean is notorious for the extreme itchiness associated with touching its leaves or seed pods.

There is no certainty as to the exact origin of the plant as it has demonstrated its ability to spread its seeds all over the world by ocean, but the general belief is that Velvet bean originated in South Asia.

Other common names for Mucuna pruriens include Cowhage, Cowitch, Buffalo bean, Indian bean, Donkey eye, and Monkey tamarind.

The main active component of Velvet bean is L-dopa, a direct precursor to dopamine. The plant has been used medically to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Using Mucuna pruriens

Ways of Administration

Mucuna pruriens has been traditionally prepared as a powder made from the beans and eaten for use as a physical and mental tonic.

Various parts of the plant can also be made into a smoking cut, but the beans are said to have the highest concentration of L-dopa and other neurotransmitters.

Effects of Mucuna pruriens

The hallucinogenic properties of tryptamines, particularly DMT and its derivatives, are well documented, 5-methoxy-DMT being the main component of the intoxicating snuffs used by some South American Indians (Ahlborg et al. 1968). Ghosal et al. (1971, p. 283) suggested that the basis of the plant extracts used "by indigenous people as an uterine stimulant lies in the spasmolytic action of indole-3-alkylamines" and that the claimed "aphrodisiac action of Mucuna spp. is consistent with the presence of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine." These researchers investigated the effect of Mucuna indole-3-alkylamines on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, as well as on smooth and skeletal muscles, of experimental animals, but no one has so far undertaken a comparative phytochemical investigation of Mucuna species, subspecies, and varieties. Apart from the apparent universal incidence of L-Dopa (3-7%) in Mucuna spp. (Versteeg et al., this volume), one can expect variation in the alkaloid profile of plants of different genetic constitutions and species or varieties grown in different geographic locations under different climatic and environmental conditions. Burkill (1966) reported that seeds of M. aterrima (Mauritius or black velvetbean) grown in Nyasal and St. Vincent, West Indies, contained neither alkaloids nor glucosides; Burkill made no reference to L-Dopa content

Pharmacology of Mucuna pruriens

The seeds of the plant contain about 3.1–6.1% L-DOPA, with trace amounts of serotonin, nicotine, and bufotenine. One study using 36 samples of seeds found no tryptamines present. M. pruriens var. prurient has the highest content of L-dopa. An average of 52.11% degradation of L-dopa into damaging quinones and reactive oxygen species was found in seeds of M. prurient varieties.