Characterization of the essential oil of Mucuna pruriens (L.) leaves cultivated in Bulgaria

Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC, a member of the Fabaceae family, represents one of the most extensively studied species within the genus Mucuna . It is an annual, tropical, leguminous medicinal plant widely utilized in traditional Ayurvedic medicine throughout Asia and Africa. Globally, it is recognized as a plant employed in the management of Parkinson’s disease. It is also valued for its aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and fertility-enhancing properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the biological variability in the composition of the essential oil obtained from the less-studied leaves of M. pruriens cultivated and harvested outside its native habitat. For this purpose, hydrodistillation was performed using a Clevenger-type apparatus, yielding a light yellowish liquid, which was collected and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). A total of 20 volatile compounds were identified, representing 89.80% of the total oil composition. The predominant constituents comprised carotenoid derivatives (34.89%), utilized for their antioxidant, vision-supporting, and immune-stimulating properties. The obtained results demonstrate that M. pruriens cultivated under Bulgarian environmental conditions retains the capacity to synthesize a diverse array of biologically active volatile compounds, some of which differ from those previously reported in plants grown within their native habitat.