26. Bioactive Compounds of Velvet Bean (Mucuna pruriens L.) Seeds

Nowadays, consumers are interested in food mostly for their health benefit than for their nutritional contribution. Thus, research on natural’s bioactive compounds of foods is attracting more attention from the scientific community. During the last two decades, Mucuna pruriens seeds also known as velvet beans, has been the subject of superabundance of research on their bioactive principles and biological activities. In this respect literature revealed that velvet beans, like other legumes seeds contain protease inhibitors, saponins, alkaloids, polyphenols, phytates, and hemagglutinins. Specifically, it has been discovered that the seeds are source of l-DOPA with levels ranging up to 13% in some accessions. The seeds are of significant biological activities, in particular, the market demand of the seeds is high due to their anti-Parkinson’s activity. The commercial forms are seeds powders, capsules, or extracts based on the l-DOPA content. The seeds also exhibit other biological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and hypolipidemic. The following is a comprehensive review on bioactive compounds of Mucuna pruriens seeds and flour, and their related biological activities.