Recipes & Ingredients, Health SpotlightPriya Jagannathan

Ingredient Spotlight: Brassica nigra (Black Mustard)

Recipes & Ingredients, Health SpotlightPriya Jagannathan
Ingredient Spotlight: Brassica nigra (Black Mustard)

Mustard is an herb that belongs to the family Brassicaceae; it grows in Mediterranean and Asian countries. The plant has been used in traditional medicines. Mustard belongs to the Brassica group that comprises vegetables that have cancer preventative properties. This plant is used in a wide range of culinary applications. We will investigate the various properties of this herb as follows:

Composition:

  • Mustard seeds (particularly black mustard) contains 90% of isothiocyanate allyl isothiocyanate and 4% of isothiocyanate (sinigrin and myrosin)—these are glucosinolate precursors found in cruciferous vegetables.

  • These have anti-cancer properties. The seeds also have protein, lecithin, mucilage, and oils.

Cancer-preventative properties:

  • Mustard seeds are known to have protective effects against ovarian, bladder, colon, lung, and breast cancers.

  • Their extracts exhibit antiproliferative effects against cancer cells. The extracts may also play a role in the induction of detoxification enzymes.

  • In test models, the allyl isothiocyanate present in the seed has been shown to have cytotoxic effects against lung and bladder cancer cells.

  • Dietary supplementation of mustard seeds in rat models was found to suppress adenomas and colorectal cancer in rats.

  • Allyl isothiocyanate in mustard seeds seems to promote death of tumor cells and inhibition of blood vessel growth that would otherwise facilitate tumor growth.

  • Sinigrin is a phytochemical that has been shown in experimental models to inhibit hepatic cancer in rats.

  • Black mustard seed extract also displayed anti-cancer properties against human non-small cell cancer cells by inhibiting the migratory and invasive properties and also by causing cell death by inducing DNA damage.


In this section we have discussed the protective properties of mustard seeds. It is important to view mustard seeds as a food and make wise choices with respect to your nutrition. As always, I wish that you keep your health in center focus and live long and strong!