CHEMICAL EVALUATION AND PHYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF ROOT EXTRACTS OF MUCCUNA PRUREINS (VELVET BEANS)

Mucuna pruriens, a tropical legume, has gained significant attention in recent years due to its diverse pharmacological properties and nutritional benefits. Known commonly as velvet bean, this plant is rich in bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and various proteins, which contribute to its wide-ranging applications in traditional medicine. Traditionally, Mucuna pruriens has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including neurological disorders, digestive issues, and inflammatory conditions, positioning it as a valuable resource for natural therapeutics. Mucuna pruriens is a tropical leguminous plant that is commonly used for agriculture and medicine. It is a member of the Fabaceae family. With long, thin stems coated in small, sharp hairs, the plant is a climbing shrub that can grow up to 15 meters in length. Its trifoliate leaves have three big, oval leaflets that can reach a maximum length of 20 cm. The plant has pods covered in stiff hairs that induce severe stinging when touched, and it produces purple to lavender flowers that are usually arranged in racemes. The study established that the both alcoholic and aqueous extracts of root parts of Mucuna prureins contained phytochemicals relevant for various medicinal applications such as alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, resins, saponins, steroids, tannins, terpenoids and triterpenoids. Compared to all other solvent extracts, methanolic extracts had higher number of secondary metabolites with high degree of precipitation, hence a better