Bioactive Compounds of Mustard, its Role in Consumer Health and in the Development of Potential Functional Foods

Mustard (Brassica spp.) is an annual oilseed crop that is widely cultivated in Asia and Europe for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is a rich source of valuable nutritive and non-nutritive bioactive compounds which have gained importance for their pharmacological activities in recent years owing to increased attention towards achieving sustainable development goal of good health and wellbeing. The presence of traditional antinutrient factors like glucosinolates sustainable source of affordable nutraceuticals. The major bioactive components in mustard are glucosinolates (sinigrin and sinalbin) and its sulphur-rich degradation products (isothiocyanates), phenolic compounds, phytic acid and various phytosterols. These compounds possess specific activities like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, antimicrobial, anti-obesity as well as anti-depressant activity. Nutraceutical products like food supplements can be formulated by extracting these compounds which possess desirable properties and thus allow maximum use of the plant.