Mucuna pruriens (Kewanch), the L-DOPA (anti parkinson's drug) producing plant species: current scenario and future prospects

Mucuna pruriens, the climbing vines and cover crop, found worldwide in tropical areas, is known to produce L-DOPA (L-3, 4-dihydroxy phenylalanine), a potent neurotransmitter, used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. All parts of M. pruriens possess valuable medicinal properties like analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, learning, memory enhancement, antihelmintic activity, aphrodisiac, anti-neoplastic, anti-epileptic and antimicrobial activities. These are showing the multifaceted use and globally increased demand in pharmaceutical industry, which is largely met through wild populations. The trichomes present on the pods can cause severe itching, blisters and dermatitis, discouraging cultivation. Therefore, a core collection of mutants were developed and screened for elite accessions with desired high yielding traits from trichome less variety of CSIR-CIMAP (CIM-AJAR). The selected elite accessions will be analysed for morphological characters, molecular polymorphism and subjected to field trials for testing the yield potential and various new unexplored bioactivities. The therapeutic effecthas been attributed to a combination of unidentified substances and L-DOPA, found to be more effective than compatible doses of levodopa in Parkinson's disease and does not induce dyskinesia. It should be validated according to Ayurveda and modern biotechnological tools. By utilizing the genomics interventions, genetically improved elite genotypes could be developed and newer information will be generated by analyzing differential transcripts. This integrated approach provides a mechanism to understand and enhance biosynthesis of L DOPA in planta.

Biotechnological explorations	Current scenario	Future requirement
Genetic improvement	Progress	Enhanced yield
Genetic diversity	Compared	Analysis required
Biosynthetic pathway	Less information	-
Expression analysis	Progress	-
Novel sequences	Less	-
Bioactivities	Progress	-

Fig. 1