Brassica Juncea: Unlocking the Potential of Mighty Mustard

Tanzeela Qadeer Khan*, Khan Alfiya Javed, Vasave Mansi Amarsingh

 JIIU’s Ali Allana College of Pharmacy Akkalkuwa, Dist-Nandurbar -425415,

*Correspondence: khantanzeela2256@gmail.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.71431/IJRPAS.2025.4404

INTRODUCTION

Often called Indian mustard, Chinese mustard, oriental mustard, leaf mustard, or mustard green, Brassica juncea is a type of mustard that is a member of the Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) family of plants. With smaller regions in central and western China, eastern India, Burma, and Iran leading to the Near East, its primary origin is in central Asia (northwest India). In addition to southern Russia north of the Caspian Sea, the main emerging nations are Bangladesh, Central Africa, China, India, Japan, Nepal, and Pakistan. Furthermore, it is considered a weed in the US, Fiji, and Mexico, a common weed in Argentina and Australia, and a principle weed in Canada. Transgenic escape and cultivars of mustard are widely available in temperate and subtropical climates. In China, Japan, America, and other countries, the seeds of this plant are widely utilized as a traditional spicy cuisine, a source of edible oil and protein, and a kind of complementary or alternative medicine. The leaves are used as a spice and in many traditional medicines as expectorants, diuretics, and stimulants. It is consumed in Korea as a stand-alone snack and as the main component of kimchi, a traditional fermented vegetable dish that has recently drawn a lot of interest as a functional food for maintaining and preventing health. The essential oil of Brassica juncea. It is consumed in Korea as a stand-alone snack and as the main component of kimchi, a traditional fermented vegetable dish that has recently drawn a lot of interest as a functional food for maintaining and preventing health.

Mustard oil, another name for the essential oil of Brassica juncea seeds, has also been utilised in hair control cosmetics. Allyl isothiocyanate is the primary potent chemical component of these commercial oils, and it is created from its precursor during the seed processing process.Currently regarded as the most significant phytochemical for cancer chemoprevention, this isothiocyanate has antibacterial properties against a range of pathogens  and additional possible health advantages.In addition to Brassica juncea leaves, a variety of other edible cruciferous vegetables that are widely known for their health advantages also contain structurally different glucosinolates and other precursors of isothiocyanates  According to reports, Brassica juncea leaves have the greatest glucosinolate concentration of any of these crops. Generally speaking, Brassicacea seeds cultivated in tropical climates have higher concentrations of these phytochemicals than seeds cultivated in temperate climates.[1,2]

Fig. 1. Brassica juncea (L.) Czern and Coss (Indian mustard, Rai)

 Plant description

More than 150 varieties of plants in the genus Brassica are grown as vegetables or oilseed crops all over the world. One such economically significant plant that has long been valued for its nutritional and therapeutic properties in India is Brassica juncea. This mustard type's leaves and seeds are both edible, and its seeds have a number of therapeutic applications that are well-known in other nations. It has also been cultivated in more recent years to yield a wider range of benefits, such as food supplements including zinc, iron, chromium, and selenium. The following is a generic taxonomy definition of the plant.[4]

Taxonomy                                      

Synonyms          Chinese mustard ,brown mustard, leaf mustard , Indian mustard and mostaza                                               

Kingdom            Plantae

Subkingdom      The vascular plant group Tracheobionta

Superdivision    Spermatophyta :  Division of seed plants

Division             Magnoliophyta

Class                  Magnoliopsida

Subclas              Dilleniidae

Order                 Capparales

Family               Brassicaceae - Mustard family

Species              Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Indian Coss. mustard

Potential bioactive constituents

In addition to glucosinolates, Brassica juncea's many polyphenolic secondary metabolites are frequently regarded as its main therapeutically significant bioactive constituents.The structure-activity relationships and medical phytochemistry of these and other herb extractable components still need to be fully described.

A summary of its various chemical classes of better-characterized bioactive compounds is provided, and a discussion of some of the other recognized chemical classes will follow. [5,6]

Glucosinolates

A glucose-derived functional group connected to a sulphonated oxime via an aliphatic, aromatic, or heterocyclic side chain is what distinguishes glucosesinolates from other organic molecules. Aliphatic and aromatic glucosinolates are included as examples of glucosinolate. Numerous Brassica juncea plants are known to contain several of the more than 200 distinct glucosinolates that have already been found in the varied Brassicaceae family. Glucosinolates are often water-soluble anions that produce isothiocyanates, thiocyanates, or nitriles when combined with water and the enzyme myrosinase . When membrane-bound thioglucosidase hydrolyses glucosinolates, it yields a variety of substances, such as glucose, nitriles, thiocyanates, isothiocyanates, and epinitriles. The glucosinolates' substituent groups as well as the physical and chemical circumstances surrounding hydrolysis influence the final result of this hydrolytic reaction. Brassica species frequently contain aliphatic gluosinolates, which are glucosesinolates with aliphatic side chains. 3-Butenyl and 2-propenyl make up the majority of Brassica juncea's aliphatic glucosinolate profile Sinigrin was found to be a significant glucosinolate in Brassica juncea seeds and leaves, just like in other plants in the family. The anticancer substances sulforaphane (4methylsulfinylbutyl isothiocyanate and ally-isothiocyanates  are both derived from glucoraphanin (4-methylsulfinylbutylglucosinolate) and sinigrin (2-propenyl or allylglucosinolate). When myrosin (myrosinase) hydrolyses sinigrin, it produces potassium bisulfate, glucose, and allyl isothiocyanate . The volatile allyl isothiocyanate yields from Brassica juncea range from 0.25 to 1.4%.[7,8]

Flavonoids and their glycosides

The most common polyphenols in Brassica species are hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids, primarily flavonols but also anthocyanins. Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds with two aromatic rings connected by a three-carbon bridge and 15 carbons. Flavonols are often the most abundant flavonoids in mustard greens. O-glycosides are the most common form of the main flavonols found in Brassica crops, which are quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin. Conjugation often occurs at position 3, however substitutions can occur at positions 5, 7, 4´, 3´, and 5´ of the Cring. Because of their antioxidant properties and other beneficial biological traits, anthocyanins—the most important class of plant pigments among the colored flavonoids—are also thought of as multipurpose food components. The most common anthocyanins are malvidin, cyanidin, delphinidin, peonidin, petunidin, and pelargonidin; The most cyanidin is found in brassica.[9]

Fig. 2 Volatile hydrolytic product (allyl isothiocyanate) of sinigrin in presence of myrosinase enzyme.

Mustard leaves' primary flavonolic secondary metabolite is isorhamnetin 3, 7-di-O-β-Dglucopyranoside (also known as isorhamnetin diglucoside). A more recent independent comparative study of the flavonoid content of 91 vegetables supports this notion by identifying the unique flavonol aglycone spectrum of Brassica juncea, which is not present in any other vegetable or plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family. Despite not having the highest overall flavonoid concentration in this investigation, Brassica juncea's flavonoid spectrum was not comparable to any other plant in the Brassicaceae family under investigation. This is especially true for Brassica juncea's leaves, which are the main source of the plant's edible veggies. See the previously referenced report for further information on the flavonoids and other phenolic components of the Brassica plants.[10,11]

Proteins

The two primary seed storage proteins of Brassica species are napin (2S albumin), which accounts for around 45–50% of the total proteins, and cruciferin (12S globulin), which accounts for about 25% of the total proteins. The two polypeptides that comprise Brassica juncea's mature napin—a small subunit of 29 amino acids (molecular weight of 4442) and a big subunit of 86 amino acids (molecular weight of 10300)—are held together by disulphide bonds formed by proteolytic cleavage from a single polypeptide precursor.A trypsin inhibitor is napin's precursor. Disulphides are a contributing factor to napin's stability and compactness. All alpha proteins, including napins, are basic and have a high α-helix composition. They are said to have antifungal properties. Seeds of Brassica juncea var. Integrifolia the 18.9 kDa antifungal protein juncin was isolated using Brassica juncea glyoxalase. For optimal performance, magnesium (Mg2+) is required. Additionally, it has globulins and mucilage.[12,13]

Fixed oils  

Mustard seed oil is mostly made up of glycerides, which include erucic, eicosanoic, arachidic, nonadecanoic, behenic, oleic, and palmitic acids, in addition to α-linolenic and arachidonic acids.

Erucic acid, which is generally abundant in this oil, may also be harmful in excessive dosages, according to some scientists. As a result, several laboratories are now attempting to create Brassica juncea seeds with lower concentrations of these and other possible "undesirable" mustard oil constituents. The majority of the plant's economic value is derived from its widespread use to produce fixed oils from its seeds, which continues to be the main source of edible vegetable oils in many countries and cultures. [14]

Nutritive constituents

The vitamins and minerals in mustard greens are abundant. The estimated calculations for each 100 g edible piece are as follows: 62 kJ of energy, 93.8 g of water, 2.3 g of protein, 0.3 g of fat, 0.7 g of total sugar, 1.8 g of fibre, 0.14 g of total organic acid, 1.6 g of ash, 130 mg of calcium (Ca), 11 mg of magnesium (Mg), 0.7 mg of iron (Fe), 3 mg of sodium, and 450 mg 100 mg of vitamin C, 0.1 mg of zinc (Zn), 1550 µg of β-carotene equivalent, 0.06 mg of thiamine, 0.09 mg of riboflavin, 0.6 mg of potassium.[15,16]

Pharmacology and toxicology

Brassica juncea seeds are widely used in practically all Indian traditional medicine systems. Observations that its essential oil causes irritation and inflammation led to its experimental use as a tool to better understand the biological systems involved in such processes.We now have a better knowledge of the mechanisms underlying vascular and neurogenic inflammation thanks to a number of findings produced throughout the first part of the 1900s.It is now widely acknowledged that mustard seeds and their oils include glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which contribute to their ability to prevent cancer. and that veggies can provide these components for oral absorption. Furthermore, the finding that edible mustard oil contains a lot of phytosterols and polyunsaturated fatty acids has raised speculation that it might have additional health benefits, including cardio-protective ones.These theories are supported by observations reported during an epidemiological research conducted in India .Reports on the therapeutically intriguing bioactivities of cruciferous green vegetable leaf extracts have also begun to surface since a number of other epidemiological research have demonstrated the variety of health benefits of these veggies. The primary known bioactivities of the plant's leaves, seeds, and active ingredients are compiled in Tables 2 and 3. The ensuing paragraphs will describe possible use of this data for acquiring pharmacologically standardised plant extracts for medicinal uses. [17,18]

Metabolic disorders

Two serious, perhaps fatal metabolic diseases that are frequently seen in obese individuals who lead sedentary lives are diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. Medical terms like diabetes, insulin resistance, and medical syndrome have emerged as a result of the strong relationship between these two conditions. The available data on the pharmacological activity profiles of various compounds produced from Brassica juncea clearly points to their potential as a treatment for these conditions. Nevertheless, it is now unable to draw firm conclusions about the type of phytoconstituents responsible for the effects that have been seen.[19,20]

CONCLUSION

This study brought to light the considerable differences in Brassica juncea's physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics across various agroclimatic and cultural settings. According to an analysis of the delicate leaves of Brassica juncea that were obtained from various agroclimatic settings, this vegetable is a good source of natural chemicals, particularly antioxidants. Ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and flavonoids are most abundant in Brassica juncea grown in agroclimatic circumstances consisting of river irrigation, manual tillage, and entirely organic nutrient management (cow and goat manures), according to a comparison of the leaf samples. However, the maximum antioxidant potential was found in leaf samples collected from fields that were irrigated with river water, cultivated using manual tillage, and fed goat manure. The highest phenolic content was also found in Brassica juncea that was cultivated using manual tillage, cow manure as a source of nutrients, and river water for irrigation. It was found that farmers' use of favorable nutrient management and other good agronomic techniques increased the output of healthy Brassica juncea.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express my special gratitude to Dr.GJ.Khan , Principal , JIIU’S Ali Allana College of Pharmacy Akkalkuwa and Management of Jamia Islamia Ishaatul Uloom Akkalkuwa for their continuous motivation and providing all necessary facilities during completion of this work .

REFERENCES

1.      Farrell KT. Spices, Condiments and Seasonings. A Chapman & Hall Food Science Book.Second edition. Aspen Publishers, Inc. Gaithersburg, Maryland. 1999.

2.      Okulicz M. Multidirectional Time-Dependent effect of Sinigrin and Allyl isothiocyanate on metabolic parameters in rats. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2010;65:217-224

3.      Luciano FB, Holley RA. Enzymatic inhibition by allyl isothiocyanate and factors affecting its antimicrobial action against Escherichia coli O157:H7. Int J Food Microbiol. 2009;131(2-3),240-245.

4.      Ram Manohar P, Reshmi Pushpan, Rohini S. Mustard and its uses in Ayurveda. IJTK. 2009;8(3):400-404

5.      Cartea ME, Francisco M, Soengas P, Velasco P. Phenolic compounds in Brassica Vegetables. Molecules. 2010;16(1):251-280.

6.      Jahangir M, Kim HK, Choi YH, Verpoorte R. Health affecting compounds in Brassicaceae; Comprehensive Reviews in Food science and Food Safety. 2009;8:31-43.

7.      Chew FS. Biological effects of glucosinolates. In H.G. Cutler (Ed.), Biologically active natural products: potential use in agriculture. American Chemical Society, Washington, USA. 1988;155-181.

8.      Morra MJ, Borek V, Brown PD, McCaffrey JP. Allelochemicals produced during sinigrin decomposition in soil. J Agric Food Chem. 1994;42:1030-1034.

9.      Aron PM, Kennedy JA. Flavan-3-ols: Nature, occurrence and biological activity. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008;52:79-104.

10.  Crozier A, Jaganath IB, Clifford MN. Phenols, Polyphenols and Tannins: An Overview, in Plant Secondary Metabolites: Occurrence, Structure and Role in the Human Diet (eds Crozier A, Clifford MN, Ashihara H. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford, UK. 2007; pp.1-24.

11.  Hollman PCH, Arts ICW. Flavonols, flavones and flavanols - nature, occurrence and dietary burden. J Sci Food Agric. 2000;80(7):1081-1093

12.  Appelqvist LA, Ohlson R, Sprague MA. Rapeseed: Cultivation, Composition, Processing and Utilization. Soil Science. 1973;116(6):453.

13.  Dasgupta J, Dasgupta S, Ghosh S, Roy B, Mandal RK. Deduced amino acid sequence of 2S storage protein from Brassica species and their structural features. Indian J Biochem Biophys. 1995;32(6):378-384.

14.  Joardar A, Das S. Effect of fatty acids isolated from edible oils like mustard, linseed or coconut on astrocytes maturation. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2007;27(8):973-983

15.  Wills RBH, Wong AWK, Scriven FM, Greenfield H. Nutrient composition of Chinese vegetables. J Agric Food Chem. 1984;32:413-416

16.  Singh Y, Rao DV Batra A. Biochemical changes in Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & coss. infected with albugo Candida kuntz. (Pers.). IJPSR. 2011;7(1):74-78.

17.  Bhattacharya A, Li Y, Wade KL, Paonessa JD, Fahey JW, Zhang Y. Allyl isothiocyanate-rich mustard seed powder inhibits bladder cancer growth and muscle invasion. Carcinogenesis. 2010;31(5):2105-2110.

18.  Shapiro TA, Fahey JW, Wade KL, Stephenson KK, Talalay P. Human metabolism and excretion of cancer chemoprotective glucosinolates and isothiocyanates of cruciferous vegetables. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1998;7(12):1091-1100

19.  Thirumali T, Therasa SV, Elumalai EK, David E. Hypoglycemic effect of Brassica juncea (seeds) on streptozotocin induced diabetic male albino rat. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011;323-325

20.  Grover JK, Vats V, Rathi SS, Dawar R. Traditional Indian antidiabetic plants attenuate progression of renal damage in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2001;76(3):233-238.