Mucuna gigantea
Burny bean
Mucuna gigantea, commonly known as Velvet Bean, is a robust tropical legume celebrated in traditional medicine. Renowned for its high L-dopa content, it is primarily used to support neurological health, boost dopamine levels, and manage Parkinson's symptoms. This potent botanical offers significant therapeutic potential for hormonal and cognitive balance.
- Scientific name: Mucuna gigantea
- Family: Fabaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is classified under the family Fabaceae. Finally, it is specifically identified by the genus Mucuna.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Mucuna | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Mucuna gigantea, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Arabic, it is referred to as ميقونة عملاقة, while in Vietnamese, it is called Đậu mèo lớn. It is known as 巨黧豆 in Chinese and หมามุ่ยช้าง in Thai. Additionally, in Japanese, the plant is referred to as ワニグチモダマ.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ar | ميقونة عملاقة | Wikidata |
| vi | Đậu mèo lớn | Wikidata |
| zh | 巨黧豆 | Wikidata |
| th | หมามุ่ยช้าง | Wikidata |
| ja | ワニグチモダマ | Wikidata |
| zh | 大血藤 | Wikidata |
| zh | 巨黎豆 | Wikidata |
| zh | 巨油麻藤 | Wikidata |
| en | Burny bean | Wikidata |
| en | Sea bean | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad distribution across several key regions of the African continent. In West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found growing within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its presence extends into East Tropical Africa, where it inhabits Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Furthermore, the species is documented in the South Tropical Africa region, specifically in Mozambique. Together, these locations highlight the wide ecological range of this medicinal species.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Mozambique | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | KwaZulu-Natal | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Madagascar | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Réunion | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Rodrigues | WCVP |
Chemicals
Mucuna gigantea has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Ca, Fe, Mg, ash, tannins.
- Total chemicals
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 5
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Ca | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Fe | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Mg | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ash | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tannins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |