Agrobotanical, nutritional and bioactive potential of unconventional legume - Mucuna

摘要

Unconventionallegumesarepromisingintermsofnutrition,providingfoodsecurity,agriculturaldevelopmentandincroprotationindevelopingcountries.Thewildlegume,Mucunaconsistsofabout100varieties/accessionsandareingreatdemandasfood,livestockfeedandpharmaceuticallyvaluedproducts.Mucunaseedsconsistofhighprotein,highcarbohydrates,highfiber,lowlipids,adequatemineralsandmeettherequirementofessentialaminoacids.Theseedsalsopossessgoodfunctionalpropertiesandinvitroproteindigestibility.Hydrothermaltreatments,fermentationandgerminationhavebeenshowntobemosteffectiveinreducingtheantinutrientsofMucunaseeds.SeveralantinutritionalcompoundsofMucunaseedsserveinhealthcareandconsiderableinteresthasbeendrawntowardstheirantioxidantpropertiesandpotentialhealthbenefits.AllpartsofMucunaplantarereportedtopossessusefulphytochemicalsofhighmedicinalvalueofhumanandveterinaryimportanceandalsoconstituteasanimportantrawmaterialinAyurvedicandfolkmedicines.Mucunaseedsconstituteasagoodsourceofseveralalkaloids,antioxidants,antitumorandantibacterialcompounds.SeedsarethemajorsourceofL-DOPA,whichserveasapotentialdruginprovidingsymptomaticreliefforParkinson'sdisease.AscultivardifferencesinMucunainfluencesthequantityofL-DOPAandlectininseeds,futureinvestigationsshoulddirecttowardstheselectionofgermplasmwithlowL-DOPAandlectinforhumanandanimalconsumption,whilehighL-DOPAforpharmaceuticalpurposes.InexpensivemeansofprocessingtechniquesneedstobeimplementedtoexploitthenutraceuticalpotentialofMucunaforthebenefitofpoorandruraldevelopmentindevelopingcountries.