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| Latin Names |
English Names |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Names |
Mucuna pruriens
Baker non DC. /
Mucuna prurita
Hook. (Fabaceae)
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Cow-Itch Plant,
Cowhage |
Kapikachhu,
Atmagupta |
Kaunch, Kevanch |
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| Habitat |
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It grows
all over India and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
M.pruriens
is an herbaceous twining annual. The leaves are trifoliolate; the
leaflets, broadly ovate, elliptic or rhomboid ovate and unequal at
the base; the flowers, purple and in axillary, pendulous racemes;
the pods, curved, longitudinally ribbed, turgid and densely clothed
with persistent pale brown or grey, irritant bristles; the seeds,
black, 4-6 in a pod and ovoid.
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| Principal
Constituents |
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M.prurita has been
found to contain L-DOPA, 40mg/g of the plant1. The plant/seeds
contain the bioactive alkaloids mucunine, mucunadine, mucuadinine,
pruriendine and nicotine, besides ß-sitosterol, glutathione,
lecithin, oils, venolic and gallic acids. The seeds with seed coat
showed the presence of a number of bioactive subtances including tryptamine,
alkylamines, steroids, flavonoids, coumarins, cardenolides, etc2.
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| Pharmacology |
The total
alkaloids from seeds of M.pruriens comprising 5 alkaloidal
bases were found to bring about a note-worthy increase in the population
of spermatozoa and in the weights of body testes, seminal vesicles
and prostrate of the treated rats. The exhibited activity was found
to stimulate testosterone-enanthate induced androgenic activity observed
in another set of treated individuals3.
Lower dose corresponding to the clinical dose significantly decreased
the sleeping time, increased the motor activity and gave equivocal
results in rotarod test in experimental animals. The high dose (3
times the clinical dose) significantly increased the sleeping time,
decreased the motor activity and reduced the time for falling from
the rod. Thus the drug possesses CNS stimulant effect at low doses
and CNS depressant effect at high doses4 .
A seed diet produced a hypoglycemic effect in normal rats, however,
such a diet had an insignificant effect on alloxan- treated rats5.
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| Clinical
Studies |
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In 15 psychiatric patients, M.pruriens
(15 g of of crude seed powder was found to significantly inhibit
the prolactin response to chlorpromazine injection, as effectively
as 0.5 g of L-dopa). No side effects were observed in these patients6.
Sixty patients with Parkinson's disease were treated with M.pruriens
in an open study for 12 weeks. Statistically significant reductions
in Hoehn and Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale scores were
seen form baseline to the end of 12 week treatment7.
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| Toxicity |
Adverse
effects were mild and were mainly gastro-intestinal in nature. No
adverse effects were seen in clinical laboratory reports (Ibid, 1995).
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| Indications |
L-DOPA is a neurotransmitter
precursor, an effective drug for relief in Parkinson's disease. The
seed is a prophylactic against oligospermia, useful in increasing
sperm count, ovulation in women, etc. It prevents male and female
sterility and acts as a nervine tonic.
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| Product
Range |
Confido (Speman
forte), Geriforte (GeriCare / StressCare), Mentat (MindCare), Mentat
syrup, Speman (ProstaCare), Tentex forte (VigorCare for Men), Anxocare,
Geriforte Aqua, Geriforte Vet, Speman Vet, Tentex forte Vet.
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| References |
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- Parikh et. al., Indian Drugs, 1990, 27, 353; Chem Abstr,
1993, 119, 234161, 245571.
- Sinha, J Res Educ Indian Med, 1992, 11(1), 15; Goyal, J Econ
Taxon Bot, 1991, 15, 677.
- Saksena, S. and Dixit, V.K., Ind. J. Nat. Prod, 1987, 3(1),
3-7.
- Ahmad, S., et. al., Conference of Pharmacology and Symposium
on Herbal Drugs (New Delhi), March 1991, 15, 26.
- Parikh et. al., Indian Drugs, 1990, 27, 353; Gopal,
J Econ Taxon Bot, 1991, 15, 677; Handa et. al., Fitoterapia,
1989, 60, 210.
- Vaidya, R. A., Neurology (India), 1978, 26, 177.
- Manyam B.V. 1995, J. Altern. Completment Med. Fall.
1(3): 249-255.
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