Mucuna Pruriens also call dog claw bean, the seed of Stizolobium cochinchin ensis (Lour). Tang et Wang. Seed capsule is black or off-white. This species plant is abundantly grows in tropic and sub-tropic area in China, Guangxi also have widely growth. Its main effective ingredient is levodopa. Levodopa is mainly use in treatment of parkinsonism, liver stupor, fracture, neuralgia etc
Mucuna Pruriens, also known as Cowhage, and velvet bean contains a very powerful neurotransmitter pre-cursor L-dopa. Mucuna pruriens is a reputed remedy of Ayurveda in nervous and sexual diseases. Traditionally, Mucuna pruriens is commonly used as carminative, hypertensive and hypoglycemic agent. Mucuna pruriens has been found to contain L-dopa, Studies in experimental model show L-dopa also helps in the reduction of cholesterol and blood sugar levels. L-dopa is a chemical that is made and used as part of the normal biology of some animals and plants. Some animals including humans make l-dopa via biosynthesis from the amino acid L-tyrosine. L-dopa is the precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine collectively known as catecholamines. L-dopa can be manufactured and in its pure form is sold as a psychoactive drug with the l-dopa; trade names include Sinemet, Parcopa, Atamet, Stalevo, Madopar, Prolopa, etc. As a drug, L-dopa is used in the clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease and dopamine-responsive dystonia.