36-41Mucuna utilis Wall. a
native of South Asia and Malaysia
is widely grown throughout the tropics. It is used as a minor food crop in
several countries of Asia and Africa. In
Nigeria leaves are used as herbal medicine. In South East Asia, the immature
pods and leaves are used as vegetable. It is a lesser known source of food in
Maharashtra (India) and mostly cultivated in home yards. Young pods are used as
salad or made in to vegetable and pickles. Objective of the present study is to
understand nutritional potential of these tender pods. Fresh as well as shade
dried material was used for estimation of moisture content, chlorophyll, anthocyanin,
lycopene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, crude protein, crude fibre, lipids, fat,
reducing and non-reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, starch, total nitrogen
and phenols. Mineral content was estimated in terms of ash yield and further
analysis was carried out for qualitative and quantitative estimation of
different elements. Material was also screened for presence of bioactive
molecules. The medicinal properties of anthraquinones, flavonoids,
leucoanthocyanin, hydroquinone, catechol, saponin and polyoses present in these
pods have been discussed and proposed to be explored for their potential
medicinal and nutritional values.
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