Nutritional and Antinutritional Assessment of Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC var. pruriens an Underutilized Tribal Pulse

INTRODUCTION Protein-energy malnutrition is among the most serious problems tropical developing countries are facing today. This can be attributed mainly to the ever-increasing population as well as to the enhanced dependence on a cereal – based diet, scarcity of fertile land and degradation of natural resources [1,2]. It has been estimated that 800 million malnourished people exist in some of the least developed countries [3]. This has necessitated exploration alternate sources of protein to bridge the gap for protein requirement of the various section of vegetarian population. In this context, alternate sources like untraditional legumes (under exploited/ tribal pulses) assume significance. The itching bean Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC var. pruriens is an underutilized legume species grown predominantly in Asia, Africa, in parts of America [4]. Mature seeds, seeds from unripe pods and young pods of itching bean, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC var. pruriens are soaked and boiled / roasted and eaten as such or mixed with salt by the North-East Indian tribes; Khasi, Naga, Kuki, Jaintia, Chakma and Mizo (5); North-Western parts of Madhya Pradesh tribes; AbujhMaria, Maria Muria, Gond and Halba (6); South Indian tribes; Mundari and Dravidan [7]; Kani, Kader and Muthuvan (8) and Savera Jatapu, Gadebe and Kondadora [9]. To make this lessknown legume palatable, tribal people follow a special processing method of continuous boiling and draining for about eight times until the boiled water changes from black to milky white. Consumption of improperly boiled seeds of ]itching bean is known to cause increase in body temperature and skin eruptions [10]. It is attributed to the presence of high levels of 3, 4dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine, L-Dopa, the aromatic non-protein amino acid [11]. Hence, in the present study, the seeds of tribal pulse Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC var. pruriens were collected from three different agroclimatic regions in Southern Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu and their chemical composition was investigated with a view to assess their nutritional potential.