EFFECTS OF DETOXIFICATION OF Mucuna pruriens ON THE FEED INTAKE, BEHAVIOR, ORGAN WEIGHTS, BLOOD CELL COUNTS AND METABOLITES OF RATS

Abstract

Mucuna pruriens has been underexploited as a food source and nutraceutical due to its L-Dopa content, which is toxic. We examined the effect of detoxification methods on feed intake, behavior, and physiological parameters. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five treatments consisting of commercial chow or diets with undetoxified or detoxified Mucuna. Rats were housed in metabolic cages and feed intake was monitored. Animal behavior was video recorded using the Open field test. Upon necropsy, organ weights and blood were analyzed. Feed intake was not affected by dietary treatment. The total distance travelled in the Open field was reduced by Mucuna diets. Treatments did not affect most organ weights. Relative to control, feeding undetoxified Mucuna, suggests that detoxifying Mucuna prevented splenomegaly and monocytosis. Rats fed undetoxified Mucuna had less blood phosphorus than control, but those fed detoxified diets did not. Rats fed undetoxified Mucuna had less alkaline phosphatase than those fed detoxified diets and tended to be anemic. Feeding detoxified Mucuna prevented the splenomegaly and monocytosis associated with feeding undetoxified Mucuna. Therefore, detoxification improved the food safety of Mucuna, making it more widely usable as a source of nutrients and a nutraceutical.