COMPARATIVE PHARMACOGNOSTICAL EVALUATION OF SEEDS OF MUCUNA COCHINCHINENSIS (LOUR.) A. CHEV. (BLACK AND WHITE VARIETIES) WITH M. PRURIENS (L.) DC

M. Pruriens (L.) DC., Mucuna cochinchinensis (Lour.) A. Chev. var. black and white are reported to contain chemical compound L-dopa, which is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Aqueous extract of seeds of these species showed aphrodisiac properties. Many Ayurvedic practitioners are using the seed powder to treat disease like gonorrhoea, sterility and general debility. Seeds of these species were collected, shade dried and kept in airtight container and preserved in FAA for microscopic evaluation. Shade dried seeds were made in to powder and sieved through #60. Characters such as color, size, shape, weight as well as microscopic characters observed through transverse section and powder microscopy have also been described in detailed. Result revealed that microscopic characters such as, thickening of lumen of palisade cells of testa, number of layers of spongy parenchyma of testa region and number of mesophyll layers of cotyledon were the main distinguishing characters of selected Mucuna species.