Description

Brassica campestris (syn. Brassica rapa subsp. campestris), field mustard, is a fast-growing annual herb of the family Brassicaceae, believed to have originated in the Mediterranean or Central Asian region and cultivated across the Indian subcontinent for over five thousand years as one of the oldest oilseed crops in South Asian agricultural history. India — particularly Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh — leads global rapeseed/mustard production. The small, round, dark brownish-yellow seeds contain sinigrin and gluconapin, which hydrolyse to pungent isothiocyanates. Documented in the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita as Sarshapa, the seeds are incorporated in Ayurvedic external preparations including Taila (oil-based) formulations for musculoskeletal applications, and in internal preparations for digestive stimulation. Mustard oil is a primary cooking medium across North India.