Legume Research

  • Chief EditorJ. S. Sandhu

  • Print ISSN 0250-5371

  • Online ISSN 0976-0571

  • NAAS Rating 6.80

  • SJR 0.391

  • Impact Factor 0.8 (2024)

Frequency :
Monthly (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December)
Indexing Services :
BIOSIS Preview, ISI Citation Index, Biological Abstracts, Elsevier (Scopus and Embase), AGRICOLA, Google Scholar, CrossRef, CAB Abstracting Journals, Chemical Abstracts, Indian Science Abstracts, EBSCO Indexing Services, Index Copernicus
Legume Research, volume 37 issue 5 (october 2014) : 483-491

VARIABILITY IN BIOCHEMICAL AND MINERAL COMPOSITION OF MUCUNA PRURIENS (L.) DC. – AN UNDERUTILIZED TROPICAL LEGUME

M. Arivalagan*, T.V. Prasad, Harinder Singh, Ashok Kumar
1Germplasm Evaluation Division, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi – 110 012, India
Cite article:- Arivalagan* M., Prasad T.V., Singh Harinder, Kumar Ashok (2024). VARIABILITY IN BIOCHEMICAL AND MINERAL COMPOSITION OF MUCUNA PRURIENS (L.) DC. – AN UNDERUTILIZED TROPICAL LEGUME. Legume Research. 37(5): 483-491. doi: 10.5958/0976-0571.2014.00664.X.
Velvet bean, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. is an underutilized tropical legume promising in terms of protein, lipid, minerals, and other nutrients compared to other conventional legumes. Information on nutritional aspect of Mucuna is scanty and conflicting information are available regarding its mineral composition. Twenty germplasm accessions of Mucuna pruriens were analyzed for mineral profiles, total polyphenols, flavonoids and total soluble sugar on dry weight (DW) basis. The levels in total polyphenols and flavonoids varied greatly among the Mucuna germpalsm accessions and ranged from 3.62 to 6.13 g and 38.28 to 69.10 mg/100 g DW, respectively. Total soluble sugar content varied from 4.92 to 9.64 g with the mean value of 6.83 g/100 g DW. The investigated germplasm accessions were rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. The macro-minerals such as potassium and magnesium ranged from 1324.0 to 1903.3 mg and 94.7 to 157.0 mg/100 g DW respectively. The micro-minerals such as iron, zinc and copper ranged from 5.56 to 12.47 mg, 2.39 to 4.43 mg and 1.45 to 3.69mg/100 g DW, respectively. There was a strong significant positive correlation between iron and zinc (r=0.615) and between potassium and zinc (r=0.403). The results indicated that there was considerable variation present within the Mucuna germplasm and they are rich in minerals which can be used as alternative legume for the people in developing countries to combat malnutrition.
  1. Andre, C. M.,  Ghislain, M.,  Bertin, P.,  Oufir, M., María del Rosario, H., Hoffmann, L.,  Hausman, J.F.,  Larondelle, Y.  and Evers, D. (2007). Andean potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) as a source of antioxidant and mineral micronutrients. J. Agr. Food. Chem.  55 (2): 366–378.
  2. AOAC, (1990). Official Methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 15th Edition. Washington, DC, USA.
  3. Arulmozhi, M. and Janardhanan, K. (1992). The biochemical composition and nutritional potential of the tribal pulse, Mucuna monosperma DC. Ex Wight. Plant Food Hum. Nutr. 42: 45-53.
  4. Chang, C., Yang, M., Wen, H. and Chem, J. (2002). Estimation of total flavonoid contents in plants by two complementary colorimetric methods. J Food Drug Anal. 10: 178-182.
  5. Chiplonkar, S. A., Agte, V.V. and Mengale, S.S. (2003). Relative importance of micronutrient deficiencies in iron deficiency anemia. Nutr. Res. 23: 1355-1367.
  6. Duke, J. A. (1982). Handbook of Legumes of World Economic Importance. Plenum, New York.
  7. Ezeagu, I. E., Maziya-Dixon, B. and Tarawali, G. (2003). Seed characteristics and nutrient and antinutrient composition of 12 Mucuna accessions from Nigeria. Trop Subtrop Agroccosyst. 1: 129-139.
  8. Fathima, K., Tresina Soris, R. P. and Mohan, V. R. (2010). Nutritional and antinutritional Assessment of Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC var. pruriens an Underutilized Tribal Pulse. Adv Biores. 1(2): 79-89.
  9. Gurumoorthi, P., Senthil, Kumar, S., Vadivel V. and Janardhanan, K. (2003). Studies on agrobotanical characters of different accessions of velvet bean collected from Western Ghats, South India. Trop Subtrop Agroecosyst. 2: 105–115.
  10. Haddy, F. J. (1987). Dietary sodium and potassium in the genesis, therapy, and prevention of hypertension. J Am Coll Nutr. 6:261-270.
  11. Ho, E. (2004). Zinc deficiency, DNA damage and cancer risk. J. Nutr. Biochem. 12:572-578.
  12. Hollman, P. C. H., Hertog, M.G.L. and Katan, M.B. (1996). Analysis and health effects of flavonoids. Food Chem. 57:43-46.
  13. Janardhanan, K., Gurumoorthi, P. and Pugalenthi, M. (2003). Nutritional potential of five accessions of a south Indian tribal pulse, Mucuna pruriens var. utilis I. The effect of processing methods on the content of L-DOPA, phytic acid and oligosaccharides. Trop Subtrop Agroecosyst. 1: 141-152.
  14. Kalidass, C. and Mohan, V. R. (2011). Nutritional and antinutritional composition of itching bean (Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC var. pruriens): An underutilized tribal pulse in Western Ghats, Tamilnadu. Trop Subtrop Agroecosyst. 14: 279-293.
  15. Liener, I. E. (1994). Antinutritional factors related to proteins and amino acids. In: Food Borne Disease Hand Book, Hul YH, Gorham JR, Murrel KD, Cliver DO (eds), vol. 3. New York: Dekker, pp 261–309.
  16. Mal, B. (1992). Biodiversity utilization and conservation in underutilized plants: Indian perspective. Indian J. Plant Gen. Resour. 5:1-22.
  17. McDonald, S., Prenzler, P. D., Autovich, M. and Robards, K. (2001). Phenols content and antioxidant activity of olive extracts. Food Chem. 73: 73-84.
  18. Milner, J.A. (1994). Reducing the risk of cancer. In Functional Foods: Designer Foods, Pharmafoods, Nutraceuticals; (Goldberg, I., ed.); Chapman & Hall: New York, pp. 39-70.
  19. Mohan, V. R. and Janardhanan, K. (1995). Chemical analysis and nutritional assessment of lesser known pulses of the genus Mucuna. Food Chem. 52: 275-280.
  20. Mugendi, J. B., Njagi, E. N. M., Kuria, E. N., Mwasaru, M. A., Mureithi, J. G. and Apostolides, Z. (2010). Effects of processing technique on the nutritional composition and anti-nutrient content of mucuna bean (Mucuna pruriens L.). Afr J Food Sci. 4(4):156-166.
  21. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR). (2009). Nutrient Requirements and Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians. India.Nwaoguikpe, R. N., Braide, W., and Ujowundu, C. O. (2011). The effects of processing on the proximate and phytochemical compositions of Mucuna pruriens seeds (velvet beans). Pak. J. Nutr. 10(10): 947-951.
  22. Preet, K. and Punia, D. (2005). Proximate composition, phytic acid, polyphenols and digestibility (in vitro) of four brown cowpea varieties. Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 51: 189-193.
  23. Rajyalakshmi, P. and Geervani, P. (1994). Nutritive value of the foods cultivated and consumed by the tribals of South India. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 46: 53-61.
  24. Roberts, J. M., Balk, J. and Bodnar, L. (2003). Nutrient involvement in preeclampsia. J Nutr. 133 (2): 1684S-1692S.
  25. Roe, J. H. (1955). The determination of sugar in blood and spinal fluid with anthrone reagent. J. Bio. Chem. 212:335–343.
  26. Siddhuraju, P. and Becker, K. (2005). Nutritional and antinutritional composition, in vitro amino acid availability, starch digestibility and predicted glycemic index of differentially processed mucuna beans (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis): an under-utilized legume. Food Chem. 91: 275–286.
  27. Siddhuraju, P., Becker, K. and Makkar, H.P.S. (2000).  Studies on the nutritional composition and antinutritional factors of three different germplasm seed materials of an underutilized tropical legume. Mucuna pruriens var. utilis. J Agr. Food Chem. 48: 6048-6060.
  28. Singh, U. (1988). Antinutritional factors of chickpea and their removal by processing. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 38: 251-261.
  29. Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) system. (2009) Version 9.2 SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA.
  30. Swaminathan, M.S. (1999). Enlarging the basis of food security: Role of unutilized species. In: Proceedings of the International Consultation organized by the Genetic Resources Policy Committee (GRPC) of CGIAR, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India.
  31. Umeta, M., West, C. E., Haidar, J., Deurenberg, P., Hautvast, J. and J, J.A. (2000). Zinc supplementation and stunted infants in Ethiopia: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 355:2021-2026.
  32. Vadivel, V. and Janardhanan, K. (2000). Nutritional and antinutritional composition of velvet bean: An under-utilized food legume in South India. Int. J Food Sci. Nutr. 51: 279-287
  33. WHO/FAO. (2001). Human Vitamin and Mineral Requirements. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation; Geneva, Switzerland
  34. Wricke, G. and Weber, W. (1986). Quantitative Genetics and Selection in Plant Breeding. W. de Gruyter, Berlin, Germany.

Editorial Board

View all (0)