A REVIEW ON PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF PARTS OF MUCUNA PRURIENS USED AS AN AYURVEDIC MEDICINE

Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. belongs to the family Fabaceae is commonly known as Velvet bean, Cowitch, Cowhage in English and Kawaanch, Kavach in Hindi. It is mainly distributed in Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands and the United State. M. pruriens has been of keen interest in phytochemical and Ayurvedic research due to its excellent medicinal values. Traditionally it is used in treating diseases such as arthritis, anxiety, cancer, cough, diarrhoea, dysentery, diabetes, dysmenorrhea, delirium, gonorrhoea, gout, impotency and sexual debility, muscular pain, parasitic infections, Parkinson's disease, rheumatic disordersas an analgesic and antipyretic, to induce vomiting, to treat snakebite and scorpion stings, sterility ,tuberculosis etc. The plant exhibit wide array of phytoconstituents like alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds which are responsible for varied potent physiological and pharmacological activities. This review is in a narrative format and consists of publications relevant to M. pruriens available in public doman.