Brassica juncea: A Crop for Food and Health

Brassica juncea, L. (Czern. and Coss.), commonly known as mustard, is a member of family Brassicaceae and an important edible oilseed crop in the world, mainly cultivated in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, and in some pockets in the USA, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Along with B. napus and B. rapa, B. juncea is the primary source of canola oil due to its high oil content (38–42%). Traditionally, mustard oil is the major source of cooking oil in the Indian subcontinent. Besides its oil, the seed meal of B. juncea is also used as animal feed and fertilizers. B. juncea is an amphidiploid (2n = 36, AABB) species evolved from the natural interspecific hybridization between B. rapa (2n = 20, AA) and B. nigra (2n = 16, BB) followed by genome duplication. Comparatively, the oil of B. juncea has balanced levels of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The oil of B. juncea is also known for its nutraceutical properties due to the presence of bioactive compounds viz. glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, sterols, and triterpene alcohols. Its oil has high percentage of erucic acid (40–57% of total fatty acids) which is not considered good for health, and therefore varieties with low levels of erucic acid have been developed. Although it is considered a hardy crop, B. juncea production is adversely affected by various biotic (stem rot, white rust, Alternaria blight, aphid) and abiotic stresses (heat, drought, frost, salinity).