Brassicaceae or Cruciferae (mustard family)- Introduction

BRASSICACEAE or CRUCIFERAE

This family consists of annual, biennial or perennial herbs with a pungent watery sap. This cosmopolitan family of about 375 genera and 3200 species, occur chiefly in north temperate region. About 50 genera and over 140 species have so far been reported from India. 

Some selected Indian genera are: 

• Alyssum, 
• Brassica, 
• Capsella, 
• Eruca, 
• Iberia, 
• Raphanus, 
• Sisymbrium.                                                                                                                                             Some of the larger genera from the world are: 

• Draba, 
• Cardamine, 
• Lepidium, 
• Alyssum, 
• Arabis, 
• Erysimum, 
• Sisymbrium, 
• Heliophila, 
• Rorippa, 
• Brassica, 
• Iberia and 
• Raphanus.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Brassicaceae are of considerable economic importance for variety of vegetables, oils, food crops, ornamentals and weeds.

Vegetables:                                                                                                                  Several common vegetables of daily use belong to this family. Some of them known by their common names in India are: 

• Mooli (Raphanus sativus, radish), 
• Shaljam (Brassica rapa, turnip), 
• Phool gobhi (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, cauliflower), 
• Band gobhi (Brassica oleracea var. capitata, cabbage), 
• Ganth gobhi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes, know-knol), 
• Button gobhi (Brassica oleracea, var. gemmifera, Brussel's sprouts), 
• Kadamsag (Brassica oleracea, var. ace-phala), 
• Sarson (Brassica campestris var. sarson, mustard) and 
• Sangria (Brassica sativus var. caudates).

• Oils:                                                                                                                                Fatty oil, used for cooking, pickles, burning, massaging, etc. is obtained from the seeds of several species of this family. Mustard oil is obtained from several species of Brassica such as:

•  Brassica campestris var. sarson (mustard or yellow sarson), and 
• B. campestris var. toria (Toria or Indian rape-seed). 
• Oil is also obtained from seeds of B. juncea var. cuneifolia (Rai), 
• B. nigra (Black mustard or Kali Rai), 
• B. alba (white sarson) and 
• Eruca sativa (Taramira). 
• The oil cake left after the extraction of oil is a good cattle feed.

• Ornamentals:                                                                                                              Among the well known ornamentals are: 

• Candytuft (Iberis), 
• Honest (Lunaria), 
• Sweet alyssum (Lobularia), 
• Wall flower (Cheiranthus), 
• stocks (Mathiola), etc.

• Medicinal:                                                                                                                 Majority of crucifers produce an abundance of vitamin C. Characteristic pungent odour of its members is because of sulphur compounds. Cauliflower and a few other crucifers have recently attracted botanists as possible anticancer food items.

• Weeds:                                                                                                               Troublesome weeds of cultivated fields and lawns include: 

• Brassica arvensis, 
• Capsella bursa-pastors (shepherd's purse), 
• Barbara, Lepidium verginicum (pepper grass), 
• Coronopus didymus and 
• Sisymbrium.

Mustard

Rai or Indian mustard is one of the most important oil seed crops in India. It is distinguished from sarson or toria by its petiolate, narrow based leaves which are not stem-clasping. rai crop comes to maturity in about 110-160 days. 

                                                    According to Prain (1898), Sinskai (1928), Vavilov and Buknich (1929) rai was originally introduced from China into north-eastern India, whence it has extended into Afghanistan via Punjab. Bananas rai was well known to ancients in the west. According to Watt (1885). it was mentioned by Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny and has been cultivated as an article of food in Europe since the 13th century. mustard is cultivated in India, China, Pakistan, Japan, etc.

Mustard Oil

Rai seed contains 30-42 percent oil. Oil is pale yellow liquid and does not form solid film on exposure to air. It is place between non-drying and semi-drying oils. Mustard seeds, in general seeds of all Brassicae, are known to contain a glucoside called sinigrin and potassium myronate. On hydrolysis under the influence of enzyme myrosinase yields dextrose, essential (allyl-iso-thiocynate) and potassium hydrogen sulphate. The pungency in the mustard oil is due to this essential oil. The chief component of the fatty acids of the oil of Cruciferous plants is eruct acid.

Extraction

Oil is extracted from the seed in bullock operated ghanis (kolhu) or power driven rotary ghanis, expellers, hydraulic press etc. In recent years solvent extraction methods are also employed.

                   Like all other edible oils rape seed and mustard oil are also adulterated. The commonly used adulterants are groundnut and linseed oils. Sometimes, seeds of Argemone get inadvertently mixed during harvesting and usually mustard oil contains a small percentage of Argemone oil.

Uses

The leaves of young plants are used as vegetables and plants are used as green fodder for cattle.

Edible purposes: The chief use of oil in India is for edible purposes. The seed and oil are used as a condiment in the preparation of pickles and for flavouring curries and vegetables. The feedings of the seed to cattle is reported to be cooling, digestive and preventive for skin diseases. Mustard oil along with rock salt is used as a dental solution in gum diseases. It also forms an ingredient in many Ayurvedic medicated oils used for massage in many paralytic diseases of the nervous system.

Industrial uses: Mustard oil is used for the manufacture of blown oil which is an oxidised and viscous oil.

Leather industry: Animal skins contain in their cells a certain amount of fat which is removed during tanning, thus making the leather hard. In order to make the leather soft or pliable the mustard oil is incorporated in the hides.

Rape Seeds

1. Yellow sarson
2. Brown sarson
3. Toria

Of the different types of rape seeds, yellow sarson is probably the oldest, and it is described in the Indian old medicinal books. According to some Russian works, eastern Afghanistan together with the adjoining north-western India is one of the independent centres of the origin of brown sarson. In Asia rape seed is chiefly grown in China, India and Pakistan. It is also grown to some extent in Europe and Russia. The forms of oleiferous Brassicae grown in Europe are different from those grown in India. 

Yellow sarson varieties take 120-160 days and brown sarson 105-145 days to mature. Toria crop matures in 85-100 days.

Oil content

Yellow sarson seeds contain 35-48 percent oil, brown sarson 35-48 percent and toria 33-46 percent. Rape seed oil is of pale yellow colour and does not form a solid film on exposure to air. The seeds contain a glucoside called sinigrin and potassium myronate. On hydrolysis by an enzyme myrosinase it yields dextrose (allyl-iso-thiocynate) and potassium hydrogen sulphate. The pungency in the mustard oil is due to this essential oil.

Extraction

The seed in crushed in wooden ghanis (kolhus) worked by bullock power or power-driven iron ghanis (rotary mills) or by expellers, hydraulic presses by solvent extraction methods.

Uses 

The seed and oil are used as a condiment in the preparation of pickles and for flavouring curries and vegetables. Chief use in India  is for edible purposes. Rape oil is used as a lubricant in the manufacture of greases, quenching steel plates and for the manufacture of soft-soaps. The oil cake is used as cattle feed and manure.

Banarasi Rai (Black Mustard)

B. nigra has been cultivated in Europe since the 13th century and is now reported to be grown wild. It is a cold-weather crop grown to a very limited extent. In India U.P, Punjab and Tamil Nadu mostly grow it as a garden crop. It does not contribute to the supply of mustard oil but it is used for the preparation of table mustard and also in various medicinal preparations.

Uses

Black mustard is ground with white mustard for preparing table mustard, and also various medicinal mustard preparations such as mustard bran and mustard flour. The expressed oil has mild rubefacient properties and is used as a liniment. In Europe it is used for making soap, for burning and as a lubricant. In India seeds of black mustard are used in pickles and curries. The oil is also used in medicine in cases of pleuresy and pneumonia.

Taramira oil

Taramira is a common cold-weather oilseed crop in the drier ares of north west India, where it is commonly grown mixed with gram or barley. Taramira is grown by the cultivators either as a pure or mixed crop in areas where the soils are light, the moisture supply is very low and the soil fertility is poor. As a matter of fact taramira is grown by the cultivators in areas where no other crop can be profitably grown.

Uses

Taramira oil is used as a burning oil in lamps in villages. The oil is reported to give a more luminous and less sooty flame than Brassica oils. Cattle fed on taramira cake are reported to be free from tick attacks.