Abstract

Background: Mucuna pruriens (Velvet Beans) is a leguminous plant valued in African and Asian ethnomedicine for managing neurological disorders, infertility, wounds, witchcraft, evil spirits, piles, malaria, and oxidative stress-related ailments. However, the scientific understanding of its physicochemical behavior that may underpin these therapeutic attributes remains limited.
Objectives: This study integrates ethnomedicinal documentation with advanced biophysical characterization of Mucuna pruriens (Velvet Beans), bridging traditional knowledge with modern biophysical insights by characterizing the structural, optical, and dielectric properties of M. pruriens collected from Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
Methods: Eighty (80) traditional healers across four local government areas of Nasarawa State were interviewed to document the ethnomedicinal uses. Matured seeds pods of M. pruriens were harvested, identified by a taxonomist, air-dried, ground into fine powder, and sieved to a uniform mesh size of 150 µm for spectroscopic analyses. The characterization was carried out by spectroscopic and physical analyses using UV-Visible, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Photoluminescence (PL), and dielectric spectroscopy.
Results: The UV-Vis spectra of the M. pruriens exhibited strong absorption peaks occurred around 280 nm and 330 nm, indicative of transitions in aromatic systems and transitions in amide groups, indicating aromatic and carbonyl chromophores. FTIR confirmed the presence of hydroxyl, amide, and carboxylic functional groups. XRD patterns revealed semi – crystalline structure, while TGA/DSC showed strong thermal stability up to 600 . PL spectra displayed broad emissions in the visible region, suggesting semiconducting properties. Dielectric spectroscopy indicated strong dipolar polarization and frequency–dependent conductivity.
Conclusion: The results demonstrate that M. pruriens possesses distinct biophysical features (semiconducting, thermal stability, and functionally diversity), providing a scientific basis that complements its ethnomedicinal significance and potential for pharmacological and bioelectronics applications, bridging traditional medicine with modern biophysics.

Key words: Mucuna pruriens, ethnomedicine, FTIR, UV–Vis, dielectric spectroscopy, XRD, PL, DSC, thermal stability.