Mucuna sanjappae Aitawade et Yadav: a new species of Mucuna with promising yield of anti-Parkinson’s drug L-DOPA

Mucuna is a well-known medicinal and food plant widely exploited for its seed pods and leaves in many tropical countries. The drug L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) extracted from seeds of Mucuna plant has been commonly used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In the present study, a new species of Mucuna, M. sanjappae Aitawade et Yadav from north-Western Ghats of India, has been analyzed for the presence of L-DOPA and a reasonable level of this drug (7.3 %) was detected. The necessary biochemical characterization of the seeds extract of this plant showed nutritional and anti-nutritional components. Simultaneously, moisture, ash, dietary fiber, calorific value, nitrate and mineral contents of seeds were also determined. This new plant species will be a potential candidate for extraction of L-DOPA and will be a good addition to the existing natural sources of anti-Parkinson’s drug since demand for L-DOPA is continuously escalating.