1.1 Introduction
Mucuna pruriens is also called Velvet Bean is seeds are commonly used to manage Parkinson’s disease and treat erectile dysfunction, oligospermia and impotence in men. It contains levodopa that increases circulating dopamine levels, which makes it an effective alternative or natural medicine for Parkinson’s disease. It is also known for its effects on hormones. It decreases prolactin level and increases testosterone level in men. Therefore, it is used to treat hyperprolactinemia (high prolactin level) and low testosterone level. Mucuna Pruriens is a trifoliate trimming annual climber known as the farmer’s enemy. Flowers are creamy or yellowish. The leaves are silky-pubescent beneath. Fruits are covered by itchy hairs that break loose on slight touching when fully dry in savannah woody and deciduous forest and secondary jungle (Bisby et al., 2007).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Mucuna and their accessions are herbaceous twining annual plants. They possess trifoliolate leaves (leaflets are broadly ovate, elliptic or rhomboid ovate and unequal at the base); flowers white to dark purple and hang in long clusters (pendulous racemes); pods are sigmoid, turgid and longitudinally ribbed, seeds ovoid (4-6 per pod) and black or white. Mucuna pods are covered with reddish-orange hairs, which readily dislodge and cause intense skin irritation and itch due to presence of a chemical called mucunain. Many varieties and accessions of the wild legume, Mucuna are in great demand in food and pharmaceutical industries. Nutritional importance of Mucuna seeds as a rich source of protein supplement in food and feed has been well documented (Siddhuraju et al. 2001a and Bressani, 2002).
Mucuna seeds constitute excellent raw material for indigenous Ayurvedic drugs and medicines due to the presence of 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-DOPA), which provides symptomatic relief in Parkinson's disease (Prakash et al., 1999), and are in high demand in international market after the discovery of L-DOPA, which serves as a potential drug as anti-Parkinson's disease (Farooqi et al., 1999) and provides symptomatic relief (Nagashyana et al., 2000) Mucuna seeds produce hypoglycemic effect and the fruits possess a weak neuromuscular blocking effect in rats but not in alloxan-treated rats (Joshi et al., 1970). The decoction of Mucuna seeds also lowers the cholesterol and lipids of plasma in rats (Iauk et al., 1989). The immature pods and leaves serve as vegetables, while seeds as condiment and main dish by ethnic groups in Nigeria (Adebowale et al., 2003b).
Mucuna plants have been reported to possess useful phytochemicals of high medicinal value of human and veterinary importance and also serve as raw material in Ayurvedic and folk medicines (Sridhar and Bhat, 2007). The seeds of Mucuna Pruriens have very rich amino acid profile when compared with other species, containing the highest percentage of lysine among others (Tuleun et al., 2008). However, information on the nutritional content of the leaves of Mucuna Pruriens is still very scanty.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to assess the Phytochemicals Constituent and Proximate Composition of Mucuna Pruriens.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Mucuna Pruriens is a widespread fodder plant in the tropics. To that end, the whole plant is fed to animals as silage, dried hay or dried seeds. Mucuna Pruriens silage contains 11-23% crude protein, 35-40% crude fiber, and the dried Velvet Beans 20-35% crude protein. It also has use in the countries of Benin and Vietnam as a biological control for problematic Imperata cylindrica grass (Tropicalforages, 2008). M. pruriens is said to not be invasive outside its cultivated area (Tropicalforages, 2008). However, the plant is invasive within conservation areas of South Florida, where it frequently invades disturbed land and rockland hammock edge habitats.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to assess the Phytochemicals Constituent and Proximate Composition of Mucuna Pruriens. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To investigate the proximate composition of Mucuna Pruriens
- To evaluate the nutritional importance of the assessment of Mucuna Pruriens.
- To identify the phytochemical constituent of Mucuna Pruriens and to evaluate its nutritional importance.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What are the proximate composition of Mucuna Pruriens?
- What are the nutritional importance of the assessment of Mucuna Pruriens?
- What are the phytochemical constituent of Mucuna Pruriens and to evaluate its nutritional importance?
1.6 Significance of Study
This study will be of immense benefit to researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
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