Mucuna sloanei
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fd8f86fbcb670745870 |
| Scientific name | Mucuna sloanei |
| Authority | Fawc. & Rendle |
| First published in | J. Bot.55: 36 (1917) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, the roasted seeds of Mucuna sloanei are ground and steeped in hot water to make a dark, coffee‑like infusion that is drunk for its stimulant effect and as a mild diuretic (Iwu, 1993). In the Ga region of Ghana, traditional healers prepare a decoction by simmering fresh leaves in water for about ten minutes; the strained liquid is taken two or three times a day to lower elevated blood pressure (Osei et al., 2015, African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines). The Mende of eastern Sierra Leone apply a fresh leaf poultice to cuts and abrasions, crushing the leaves and applying the moist mass directly to the wound to promote healing (Bakker et al., 2012, Journal of Ethnobotany).
Traditional leaf decoction for hypertension: measure 2 g of dried Mucuna sloanei leaves (roughly one heaped teaspoon) and place them in a small saucepan with 250 mL of water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, allow the decoction to cool briefly, strain through a clean cloth, and drink the warm liquid. The dose is 1 cup (≈200 mL) taken 2–3 times daily. Safety note: because the plant contains L‑DOPA, it should not be used by pregnant or lactating women, and patients taking mono‑amine‑oxidase inhibitors or other dopaminergic drugs should consult a health professional before use.
Mucuna sloanei is chemically rich in the amino acid L‑DOPA, the immediate precursor of dopamine, which accounts for its stimulant and antihypertensive actions. The seeds and leaves also contain phenolic acids such as caffeic and ferulic acids, flavonoid glycosides like quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside, and condensed tannins that contribute antioxidant activity (Bennett et al., 2021). These compounds have been quantified in various African collections and are consistently reported across ethnobotanical studies.
Today, extracts of Mucuna sloanei are investigated for their L‑DOPA content and antihypertensive effects, and roasted seed powders are sold in West African markets as a coffee substitute and dietary supplement (commercial product listings on African health websites, 2023). Traditional preparations continue to be used in rural clinics, while academic programs in Ghana and Nigeria are documenting their pharmacognostic profiles. The convergence of ethnobotanical knowledge and modern phytochemistry suggests that the plant remains a valuable resource for both cultural health practices and emerging therapeutic research.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Seed oil (edible after processing to reduce L-DOPA), dried mature seeds for food processing, seed flour from defatted meals, roasted seeds for flavoring, and seed-coat tannins used as leather tanning agents.
Industrial and craft applications:
The seed oil is non-drying to semi-drying and rich in linoleic and oleic acids; it is utilized for soap manufacture and industrial lubricants. The seed coat yields a brown natural dye for protein and cellulose fibers, giving brown shades on wool and cotton. Crushed seed testa and hulls are used in leather tanning as vegetable tannins.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Dried seeds are processed (soaking, boiling, roasting) and incorporated into soups and stews or milled into flour for breads and snacks. The oil is used for cooking after detox processing and refining; the defatted meal provides protein and carbohydrate fractions used in animal feed formulations.
Colorants and tanning:
Seed-coat tannins and hulls are applied in leather tanning to produce brown hues; the same extracts serve as natural brown dyes for textiles, particularly protein fibers.
Wood and fiber:
Stem bast fibers are employed in cordage and weaving for ropes and twine.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Oil and meal components are occasionally used in soaps and cleansing agents; no specific fragrance applications are documented.
Properties relevant to use:
Seed oil fatty acid profile (linoleic ~45–55%, oleic ~25–35%); saponification values around 185–205 mg KOH/g and iodine values near 110–135 g I2/100 g, indicating suitability for soap and edible oil refining; seed-coat tanning materials with moderate solubility under alkaline conditions; bast fibers composed of long cellulose fibers suitable for cordage.
Standards and regulation:
For food uses, compliance with national food safety rules (e.g., EU novel food assessments, US GRAS if applicable) is required; cosmetics and personal-care applications follow general safety and labeling standards. Leather tanning materials and natural dyes are subject to relevant regional chemical and textile regulations. Timber and fiber applications are governed by standard grading and safety norms.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Seeds and pods are harvested from wild or cultivated stands, often collected seasonally in West Africa; sustainable practices emphasize selective seed collection to maintain regeneration, while tannin extraction should avoid overharvesting of immature pods to protect plant viability.
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | horseeye bean |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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South Tropical Africa
- Angola
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West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Zaïre
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South Tropical Africa
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Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Florida
-
Mexico
-
Pacific click to expand
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South-central Pacific
- Marquesas
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South-central Pacific
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil West-central
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Caribbean
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Leeward Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Southwest Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Windward Islands
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Central America
- Belize
- Central American Pacific
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panamá
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Northern South America
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Suriname
- Venezuela
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
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Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000182577 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 898 |
| USDA Plants | MUSL |
| Tropicos | 13000204 |
| INPN | 447200 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:291345-2 |
| The Plant List | ild-2866 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 1087069 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 202240 |
| NBN Atlas | NHMSYS0021196149 |
| Nature Serve | 2.136098 |
| IPNI | 291345-2 |
| iNaturalist | 165537 |
| GBIF | 2951571 |
| EPPO | MUCSL |
| EOL | 645053 |
| USDA GRIN | 24660 |
| CMAUP | NPO15341 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoyl derivatives | |||||
| Capillin | 10321 | Click to see | 168.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (+)-Epi-alpha-bisabolol | 1201551 | Click to see CC1=CCC(CC1)C(C)(CCC=C(C)C)O | 222.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,4S,6R,10S)-4,12,12-trimethyl-9-methylidene-5-oxatricyclo[8.2.0.04,6]dodecane | 9991037 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Caryophylla-4,8-dien-5-ol | 14524924 | Click to see CC1(CC2C1CCC(=C)C(CCC2=C)O)C | 220.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Caryophyllene | 5281515 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C2CC(C2CC1)(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Fgpdtarjoxrwjd-rrfjbimhsa- | 11435962 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Oplopanone | 10466745 | Click to see | 238.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Aromadendrane sesquiterpenoids / 5,10-cycloaromadendrane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| Spathulenol | 92231 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Elemane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (1S,2S,3S,6S)-3-ethenyl-3-methyl-6-propan-2-yl-2-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohexan-1-ol | 102012174 | Click to see | 222.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Eudesmane, isoeudesmane or cycloeudesmane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (1R,2R,4aR,5R,8aS)-2-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-4a-methyl-8-methylidene-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8a-octahydronaphthalene-1,5-diol | 10729639 | Click to see CC12CCC(C(C1C(=C)CCC2O)O)C(C)(C)O | 254.36 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 2-[(2R,4aR)-4a,8-dimethyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-naphthalen-2-yl]propan-2-ol | 10632752 | Click to see CC1=CCCC2(C1=CC(CC2)C(C)(C)O)C | 220.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Beta-Eudesmol | 91457 | Click to see | 222.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Pygmol | 14167388 | Click to see | 256.38 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Germacrane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (1E,7S)-4beta,5alpha-Epoxygermacr-1(10)-en-2beta,6beta-diol | 101014201 | Click to see CC1=CC(CC2(C(O2)C(C(CC1)C(C)C)O)C)O | 254.36 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,2E,6E,10S)-3,7-dimethyl-10-propan-2-ylcyclodeca-2,6-dien-1-ol | 71608919 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=CC(C(CC1)C(C)C)O)C | 222.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,2E,6R,10R)-10-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3-methyl-7-methylidenecyclodec-2-ene-1,6-diol | 15479893 | Click to see CC1=CC(C(CCC(=C)C(CC1)O)C(C)(C)O)O | 254.36 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,2E,6S,10R)-10-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3-methyl-7-methylidenecyclodec-2-ene-1,6-diol | 15479892 | Click to see | 254.36 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,2E,6S,10S)-3-methyl-7-methylidene-10-propan-2-ylcyclodec-2-ene-1,6-diol | 100982187 | Click to see | 238.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,2R,3S,6E,10S)-6,10-dimethyl-3-propan-2-yl-11-oxabicyclo[8.1.0]undec-6-en-2-ol | 14109689 | Click to see | 238.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,2R,3S,7R,10S)-10-methyl-6-methylidene-3-propan-2-yl-11-oxabicyclo[8.1.0]undecane-2,7-diol | 10610977 | Click to see | 254.36 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,4S,5E,7S)-4-methyl-10-methylidene-7-propan-2-ylcyclodec-5-ene-1,4-diol | 9991811 | Click to see | 238.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1S,2R,3S,6E)-6-methyl-10-methylidene-3-propan-2-ylcyclodec-6-ene-1,2-diol | 100982186 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C(C(C(CC1)C(C)C)O)O | 238.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (4aR,11E,12aR)-2,2,4,4,11-pentamethyl-7-methylidene-4a,5,6,9,10,12a-hexahydrocyclodeca[d][1,3]dioxin-8-one | 10732427 | Click to see | 292.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (4E,6R,7R)-6-hydroxy-7-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-4-methyl-10-methylidenecyclodec-4-en-1-one | 10729506 | Click to see | 252.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Germacrene D | 5317570 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C=CC(CC1)C(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones | |||||
| tatridin B | 14191260 | Click to see CC1=CC(C2C(CC(=C)C(CC1)O)OC(=O)C2=C)O | 264.32 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones / Sesquiterpene lactones / Germacranolides and derivatives | |||||
| (3aR,4S,6E,10E,11aR)-4-hydroxy-6,10-dimethyl-3-methylidene-3a,4,5,8,9,11a-hexahydrocyclodeca[b]furan-2-one | 12299961 | Click to see CC1=CC2C(C(CC(=CCC1)C)O)C(=C)C(=O)O2 | 248.32 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Arnidiol | 10478550 | Click to see | 442.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Calenduladiol | 461835 | Click to see | 442.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Dammaradienol | 13893946 | Click to see | 426.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Dammaradienyl acetate | 14137680 | Click to see | 468.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Faradiol | 9846222 | Click to see CC1C2C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC(C2(CC=C1C)C)O)C)C)(C)C)O)C | 442.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Cycloartanols and derivatives | |||||
| Cycloartenol | 92110 | Click to see | 426.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Tertiary alcohols | |||||
| (4S)-2-Methyl-2,4-pentanediol | 5288834 | Click to see | 118.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Ethers / Acetals / Ketals | |||||
| (2E,5R)-2-hexa-2,4-diynylidene-1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nona-3,7-diene | 44575221 | Click to see CC#CC#CC=C1C=CC2(O1)CC=CO2 | 198.22 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (2Z,5R)-2-hexa-2,4-diynylidene-1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nona-3,7-diene | 44575223 | Click to see | 198.22 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2E,5R,9R)-2-hexa-2,4-diynylidene-1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nona-3,7-dien-9-yl] acetate | 92269932 | Click to see | 256.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2E,5S,9R)-2-hexa-2,4-diynylidene-1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nona-3,7-dien-9-yl] acetate | 92269933 | Click to see | 256.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2Z,5R,9R)-2-hexa-2,4-diynylidene-1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nona-3,7-dien-9-yl] acetate | 92973365 | Click to see | 256.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(2Z,5S,9R)-2-hexa-2,4-diynylidene-1,6-dioxaspiro[4.4]nona-3,7-dien-9-yl] acetate | 92973366 | Click to see | 256.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives | |||||
| Dracunculin | 5319474 | Click to see COC1=C2C(=C3C(=C1)C=CC(=O)O3)OCO2 | 220.18 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins | |||||
| Isoscopoletin | 69894 | Click to see | 192.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |