Knowing Your Beans in Parkinson’s Disease: A Critical Assessment of Current Knowledge about Different Beans and Their Compounds in the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and in Animal Models

Abstract

This review contains a critical appraisal of current knowledge about the use of beans in both animal models and patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The potential beneficial effects of beans in PD are increasingly being touted, not only in scientific journals but also by the lay media. While there is a long tradition in Ayurvedic medicine of prescribing extracts from Mucuna pruriens (MP), whose seeds contain 5% L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanin (L-DOPA), many other beans also contain L-DOPA (broad beans, common beans, and soybeans) or have other ingredients (coffee and cocoa) that may benefit PD patients. Indeed, bean-derived compounds can elicit neuroprotective effects in animal models of PD, while several studies in human PD patients have shown that motor performance can improve after ingestion of bean extracts. However, there are several arguments countering the view that beans serve as a natural therapy for PD: (i) the results from animal PD models are not necessarily directly applicable to humans; (ii) beans have many bioactive ingredients, some of which can be harmful in large doses; (iii) studies in human PD patients are scarce and only report on the effects of single doses or the administration of bean extract over short periods of time; and (iv) no data on long-term efficacy or side effects of bean therapy are available. Therefore, reservations about the use of beans as a “natural” therapy for PD seem to be justified.

Parkinsonism and Potential of Mucuna Beans

“…Likewise, the potential of Mucuna seed powder extract significantly improved activity of brain mitochondrial complex-I without disturbing total monoamine oxidase activity in vitro [61]. Mucuna pruriens also has the potential to amend immune components like tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-λ (IFN-λ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the central nervous system, thereby, averting the progression of dopaminergic neurons degeneration, in PD [62]. Moreover M. pruriens was also assessed for levodopa pharmacokinetics by Sarrafchi et al, in a double-blinded clinical and pharmacological study.…”

“…Copious studies have scrutinized the effect of MP in PD patients. The bioavailability of L-DOPA in the central nervous system is about one-fifth when pooled with carbidopa or benserazide due to nonexistence of DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI) in Mucuna [61][62][63][64][65]. Even then, the first report in 1978 revealed that 23 PD patients were treated with MP with similar effect and better tolerance than L-DOPA/benserazide.…”

Review of Mucuna pruriens L. therapeutic potential for Parkinson’s disease

“…В-третьих, животные не страдают от болезни Паркинсона в дикой природе. Животные модели данного заболевания основаны на генетических мутациях или токсин-индуцированном паркинсонизме, и, следовательно, полученные данные не обязательно применимы к медленно прогрессирующему нейродегенеративному заболеванию у людей [35]. [37].…”

“…С 2019 г. проводится многоцентровое международное рандомизированное клиническое исследование, посвященное определению эффективности порошка Mucuna pruriens в сравнении с коммерческими таблетками леводопа/бензеразид 200/50 мг в долгосрочной перспективе у пациентов с недавно диагностированным паркинсонизмом на ранней стадии заболевания (Панафриканский реестр клинических испытаний, номер 201611001882367) [35].…”

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“…9 The legumes have known to provide with the symptomatic ease, as the family is known to possess L-DOPA or Levodopa in a varying amount which is a majorly used treatment to assess PD symptoms and the presence of secondary metabolites known to decrease oxidative stress. Beans like Mucuna pruriens (L-DOPA-1%), Vivia faba (L-DOPA-0.5%), Phaseolus vulgaris (L-DOPA-0.25%) exhibit neuroprotective effect considered to be due to the presence of levodopa and various antioxidants 10 . In this study, we will be examining Cyamopsis tetragonoloba for its Anti-parkinson's activity through in-vivo biochemical and behavioral studies on albino rats.…”