Brassica juncea Health Dictionary

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Brassica Juncea: From 1 Different Sources

(Linn.) Czern. & Coss.

Family: Cruciferae; Brassicaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

English: Chinese Mustard, Brown Mustard.

Ayurvedic: Raajikaa, Aasuri Raai, Tikshnagandhaa.

Siddha/Tamil: Kadugu.

Folk: Raai

Action: Raai is a substitute for Mustard. Antidysenteric, stomachic, diaphoretic, anthelmintic. Increases pancreatic secretions. A decoction of seeds is given in indigestion, cough. Used externally as a counter-irritant in several complaints of nervous systems.

Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Brassica Alba

(L.) Boiss.

Synonym: Sinapis alba L.

Family: Cruciferae; Brassicaceae.

Habitat: Native of Europe and West Asia. Cultivated in North India as a crop.

English: White Mustard.

Ayurvedic: Siddhaartha, Shveta Sarshapa, Sarshapa-Gaura.

Unani: Khardal Safed.

Siddha/Tamil: Venkadugu.

Folk: Safed Raai.

Action: Stimulant to gastric mucosa, increases pancreatic secretions; emetic (used in narcotic poisoning), diaphoretic, rubefacient. (As a counter-irritant it increases flow of blood to a specific area.) Used externally as a poultice in bronchitis, pleurisy, intercostal neuralgia, chilbains.

Seeds contain glucosinolates. Sinalbin in B. alba and sinigrin in B. juneja oil are toxic constituents. The oil with toxic constituents should be avoided in gastrointestinal ulcers and kidney disorders. When moistened, sinigrin in the seeds is degraded to allyl isothiocyanate, a potent irritant volatile oil. (Francis Brinker.)

Glucosinolates are goitrogenic. Excessive consumption of Brassica sp. vegetables may alter absorption of thyroid hormone in G2 tract. (Sharon M. Herr.)... brassica alba

Brassica Campestris

Linn. var.

rapa (L.) Hartm.

Family: Cruciferae; Brassicaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated as an oil-yielding crop.

English: Field Mustard, Turnip Rape.

Ayurvedic: Sarshapa, Siddhaartha.

Unani: Sarson.

Siddha/Tamil: Kadugu.

Action: Stimulant, diuretic, emetic, rubefacient, counter-irritant. Used externally for bronchitis and rheumatic pains (increases flow of blood to a specific area). Powdered seeds are used as a tea for colds, influenza and fever.

The seeds contain glycosinolates (the derivatives are responsible for tox- icity). The concentration of the major glucosinolate, gluco-napin, varies from 0.64 to 1.8% in the oil-free meal of Indian brassicas. The glucosinolates in rapeseed meal split upon enzymatic hydrolysis to produce glucose, potassium, hydrogen sulphate and a sulphur- containing compound which undergoes intramolecular rearrangement to give rise to the antinutritional factors, isothiocyanates or thiocyanates.

The volatile oil of mustard is given internally in colic; in overdoses it is highly poisonous and produces gastro- enteric inflammations. It is employed externally as a liniment for rheumatic pains.

Adulteration of mustard oil with argemone oil (Argemone mexicana is frequently found growing in brassica fields), by accident or by design, has led to the widespread epidemics of dropsy and glaucoma due to an alkaloid sanguinarine.

Black mustard contains sinigrin, which on hydrolysis by enzyme my- rosin, produces allyisothiocynate; the white mustard contains sinalbin, which produces p-hydroxybenzyl isothiocy- nate. Mucilage contains sinapine.

Dosage: Seed—500 mg to 1 g paste. (API Vol. III.)... brassica campestris

Brassica Napus

Linn.

Family: Cruciferae; Brassicaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in Punjab, Bengal and Bihar.

English: Mustard, Indian Rape.

Ayurvedic: Krishna-Sarshapa, Raajakshavaka, Kattaka, Katus- neha, Tantubha, Siddhaartha, Siddhaarthaka, Siddhaartha-sita, Rakshogna. (White variety of Sarshapa is also equated with Siddhaartha. Asita and Rakta seed varieties are reddish; Gaur and Siddhaartha are whitish.)

Unani: Kaali Sarson.

Action: Emollient, diuretic, anticatarrhal.

The oil gave brassino steroid—brasi- nolide. Seeds gave a antithyroid compound, 5-vinyl-2-oxazolidinethone; thioglucosides and thioglucosinolates. The seed oil is said to dissolves gallstone.... brassica napus

Brassica Nigra

(Linn.) Koch.

Family: Cruciferae; Brassicaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

English: Black Mustard.

Ayurvedic: Banarasi Raai, Raajika (var.).

Unani: Khardal Siyah. Siddha/Tamil: Kadugu. Folk: Raai.

Action: Seeds are used for treating coryza with thin excoriating discharge with lacrimation, sneezing and hacking cough, nostril blockage and dry and hot feeling of pharyngitis.

The seeds contain glucosinolate sin- igrin, which produces allyl isothio- cyanate when mixed with warm water. Allyl isothiocynate acts as a counterir- ritant when diluted (1:50).

Brayera anthelmintica Kunth.

Synonym: Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J. F. Gmelin.

Family: Rosaceae.

Habitat: Indigenous to north-east Africa. Imported into Mumbai.

English: Cusso, Brayera.

Folk: Kusso.

Action: Anthelmintic. Administered in the form of an infusion for the expulsion of tapeworm (ineffective against hookworm, roundworm, whipworm). Irritant to mucous membrane; produces nausea, vomiting and colic in large doses.... brassica nigra

Ceropegia Juncea

Roxb.

Family: Asclepiadaceae.

Habitat: Peninsular India.

Folk: Kanvel (Maharashtra). Bella- gada (Telugu, Andhra Pradesh). (Soma is a disputed synonym)

Action: The plant extract exhibits tranquilizing, hypotensive, hepa- toprotective, antiulcer, antipyretic, topically anaesthetic activities in experimental animals.

A pyridine alkaloid, cerpegin, together with a triterpene, lupeol has been isolated from the plant from Tiruneveli, Tamil Nadu.... ceropegia juncea

Crotalaria Juncea

Linn.

Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.

Habitat: Throughout the plains of India, especially in South India.

English: Sun Hemp.

Ayurvedic: Shana, Shanapushpi, Malyapushpa.

Unani: Sunn.

Siddha/Tamil: Sanal, Manji, Sannappu.

Folk: Jhanjhaniaa.

Action: Leaf—demulcent, purgative, emetic, emmenagogue, abortifa- cient, ant-implantation. Given in diarrhoea, dysentery and bleeding disorders. Seeds—used in psoriasis and impetigo.

Seeds—hepatotoxic. Seed oil gave fatty acids—linoleic, linolenic and oleic.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids—junceine, tricodesmine, riddelline, seneciphyl- line and senecionine were also obtained.

Dosage: Seed—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. III.)... crotalaria juncea

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