**1. Genus Mucuna**
– More than 110 accepted species
– Belongs to the family Fabaceae: tribe Phaseoleae
– Found in tropical and subtropical forests worldwide
– Leaves are trifoliolate, alternate, or spiraled
– Flowers are pea-like with distinctive curved petals
**2. Medicinal Properties**
– Used in herbalism for various conditions
– Experiment showed potential for Parkinson’s disease symptoms
– Increase in phosphorus availability in agriculture
– Used in Native American agriculture
– Contains antinutritional compounds
**3. Toxicity and Processing**
– Seeds contain L-dopa and other antinutrients
– Processing methods to reduce toxins
– Antinutrients can be removed by long cooking
– Chemicals like serotonin and tryptamines present
– Preliminary experiments show potential as food crop after toxin removal
**4. Species Examples**
– Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.
– Mucuna sloanei Fawc. & Rendle
– Mucuna gigantea (Willd.) DC.
– Mucuna macrocarpa Wall.
– Mucuna pallida Cordem.
**5. Synonyms and Taxonomy**
– Homotypic synonyms: Hornera, Neck. ex A.Juss.
– Heterotypic synonyms: Cacuvallum Medik., Carpopogon Roxb.
– Taxonomic diversity within the genus
– Variability in species characteristics
– Derived from Tupi-Guarani word ‘mucunã’