L-dopa from Mucuna may be more effective than the isolate and require less for the same results. See section 5.1 of http://examine.com/supplements/Mucun...ns/#summary5-0. "A rat study investigating the same question found that low dose Mucuna paired with benserazide (peripheral dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor) was able to suppress symptoms associated with Parkinsons while low dose Levodopa + Benserazide was not; additionally, long-term usage of Mucuna Pruriens was more effective than long-term usage of Levodopa in isolation, when both were contributing the same dose of Levodopa.[22] The differences seen were suggested to be due to a possible Dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor in Mucuna Pruriens. Other studies comparing Levodopa to Mucuna also note this difference, and suggest that one needs thrice as much Levodopa in isolation to match Levodopa from Mucuna.[15]"

Another study showed it to worked better than Sinemet. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1738871/.

Hinz's mucuna is 40% levodopa vs the 4% founf naturally so perhaps it is spiked. In any case it takes a lot of capsules to get an equivalent dose. Each tsp is equivalent to 8 capsules.