Ukpo, the medicinal food thickener

Mucuna flagellipes

Mucuna flagellipes is a tropical rainforest vine belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae), well known across Nigeria for its edible seeds, which are commonly processed into a traditional soup thickener. Its common names include ox-eye bean, hamburger seed, hamburger bean, sea bean, donkey eye, and velvet bean. Locally, it is called kararra or karangiwa by the Hausas, ukpo or agbara by the Igbos, and yerepe or agbarin by the Yorubas.

Constituents

Mucuna flagellipes contains complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids; phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes and tannins; vitamins including thiamine, riboflavin and niacin; and minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and iron. Other constituents include oxalate, phenol, phytate, L-dopa, phenolics, haemagglutinins, trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors, cyanogenic compounds, and mucunain.

Preparations

The plant is available as raw or dried seeds, or in powdered form. The seeds can be roasted, fried, cooked, boiled, dehulled and ground. The leaves are used in decoctions.

Pharmacological actions and medicinal uses

Ukpo seeds possess antibacterial, anticancer, anti-constipation, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, blood sugar-lowering, immune-boosting and bone development properties. A study revealed that M. flagellipes inhibited alpha-amylase and pancreatic lipase activities due to the presence of two major compounds—hexadecanoic acid and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid.

The anti-obesity and antihyperlipidaemic properties of M. flagellipes have been demonstrated in in vivo studies, where the n-hexane fraction significantly reduced total triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with hyperlipidaemic control rats. Another study suggested that Mucuna flagellipes possesses significant antihypertensive effects, although not as potent as amlodipine.

Reports indicate that decoctions of leafy twigs are used as a beverage or bath to treat children with rickets. It is also taken as an emmenagogue and for the treatment of diarrhoea. The powdered fruits are applied against lice. The hairs on the fruit, though intensely irritating to the skin, are used medicinally to expel tapeworms.

A study reported that Mucuna flagellipes, with a fair degree of accuracy, improves learning and memory and may be useful in the management and treatment of retrograde amnesia. Another study revealed that ice cream produced from M. flagellipes gum has strong potential in addressing protein and vitamin deficiencies prevalent in developing countries.

Adverse effects

Consuming raw or improperly processed Mucuna flagellipes can cause severe adverse effects, including dizziness, stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, heartburn, involuntary muscle movements (dyskinesia), psychological disturbances and severe dermatitis. Contact of the fruit hairs with the eyes can cause severe conjunctivitis and, in extreme cases, blindness.

Economic uses and potential

A black or blue-black dye can be obtained from the stems and leaves of Mucuna flagellipes, often in combination with the fruits of Alchornea cordifolia. This dye is used for colouring vegetable fibres, cloth, leather, wooden objects and pottery. The stems, branches and flower stalks provide a coarse fibre used in rope-making, while the seeds are used in traditional games.

The gum present in the seeds functions as an emulsifying and suspending agent, making it useful in baking and in the manufacture of medicines. The raw or dried seeds cost approximately N5,000 to N8,000 per kilogram, depending on volume, while the powdered form costs about N7,000 to N9,000 per kilogram due to processing and milling.

Ukpo (Mucuna flagellipes) has significant potential in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

Reference

Fern, K. (2026). Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. Retrieved on 16 May 2026 from: tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Mucuna%20flagellipes

By Pharm. Ngozika Okoye MSc, MPH, FPCPharm

(Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency)

Email: ngozikaokoye@yahoo.com