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Mustard (Brassica juncea) is a cruciferous vegetable used as a food spice and folk medicine worldwide. Mustard contains numerous phytochemicals such as: vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, chlorophylls, glucosinolates (and their degradation products), polyphenols and volatile components(allyl isothiocyanate, 3-butyl isothiocyanate, etc.). The content and exact chemical composition of these phytochemicals is affected by plant variety, growth environment, extraction process and food processing methods. In addition, mustard may possess a plethora of pharmacological activities including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and bacteriostatic and antiviral activity. Mustard has also been used to combat several illnesses such as cancer, obesity, depression, diabetes, and cataracts. This review provides an overview of plant characteristics, types, origins, distribution, and consumption methods of Mustard, as well as its phytochemicals and biological activities. The findings of this paper may serve as references for the development and utilization of Mustard resources.

Background and aim Soil salinity is one of the major environmental obstacles that limit the crop productivity. A pot experiment was conducted with an aim to explore the ameliorative effects of exogenously applied 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in alone and/or combination against salinity stress in Brassica júncea (L.) cv. Varuna. Methods Plants were grown in earthen pots and were exposed to 100 mM NaC1. Further, 30 days old plants were sprayed with 24-epibrassinolide (EBL, 10⁻⁶ M) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 100 μM) solutions in alone and/or combination. Plant growth indices, gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence, nitrogen and proline metabolism, malondialdehyde, electrolytic leakage and ABA content were analyzed. Results Salinity stress hampered the general plant growth, affected gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence and nitrogen metabolism, showed increase in MDA, proline and ABA content while decreased electrolytic leakage and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio. The endogenous levels of ABA revealed significant increase in salinity treatment (12.25 μg g¹⁻ FW) and approaching control Background and aim: Soil salinity is one of the major environmental obstacles that limit the crop productivity. A pot experiment was conducted with an aim to explore the ameliorative effects of exogenously applied 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in alone and/or combination against salinity stress in Brassica júncea (L.) cv. Varuna. Conclusion The present findings demonstrated that EBL and SNP application could protect the plants against salinity stress suggesting the involvement of nitric oxide and brassinosteroids in salinity stress amelioration through impact on nitrogen, proline and ABA metabolism.

Members of the Metal Tolerance Protein (MTP) family are critical in mediating the transport and tolerance of divalent metal cations. Despite their significance, the understanding of MTP genes in mustard ( Brassica juncea ) remains limited, especially regarding their response to heavy metal (HM) stress. In our study, we identified MTP gene sets in Brassica rapa (17 genes), Brassica nigra (18 genes), and B. juncea (33 genes) using the HMMER (Cation_efflux; PF01545) and BLAST analysis. For the 33 BjMTPs , a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis covering the physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, protein structures, collinearity, spatiotemporal RNA-seq expression, GO enrichment, and expression profiling under six HM stresses (Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Sb 3+ , and Pb 2+ ) were carried out. According to the findings of physicochemical characteristics, phylogenetic tree, and collinearity, the allopolyploid B. juncea ’s MTP genes were inherited from its progenitors, B. rapa and B. nigra , with minimal gene loss during polyploidization. Members of the BjMTP family exhibited conserved motifs, promoter elements, and expression patterns across subgroups, consistent with the seven evolutionary branches (G1, G4–G9, and G12) of the MTPs . Further, spatiotemporal expression profiling under HM stresses successfully identified specific genes and crucial cis-regulatory elements associated with the response of BjMTPs to HM stresses. These findings may contribute to the genetic improvement of B. juncea for enhanced HM tolerance, facilitating the remediation of HM-contaminated areas.

Drought poses a major challenge to crop growth and yield, and exploring the drought tolerance of crops is an effective and economical approach to mitigating the effects of drought. To screen drought-tolerant germplasm resources and key functional genes related to drought tolerance in Brassica juncea L.(193 accessions), three treatments were applied at the germination and seedling stages:control(CK), moderate drought stress (M), and severe drought stress (S). Drought tolerance identification, GWAS, and RNA-Seq analysis of these materials under different treatments showed that drought stress significantly reduced the germination rate, aboveground and underground fresh weight at the seedling stage, harvest index at maturity, and expanded the root/shoot ratio. From the 193 materials, 24 drought-tolerant, 139 drought-tolerant medium, and 30 drought-sensitive materials were identified. The 77 SNPs identified by GWAS were associated with the relative germination rate at the germination stage, and the fresh weight of the aboveground and underground parts at the seedling stage, which could be integrated into 27 QTLs. WGCNA identified 15, 0, and 5 modules significantly related to drought tolerance in the aboveground and underground parts at the germination and seedling stages, respectively. By correlating the significant GWAS SNPs with the significant WGCNA modules, a total of 11 genes related to drought tolerance under moderate and severe drought stress were identified. These genes were involved in the regulation of auxin-responsive protein ( SAUR ), LEA protein, glucosidase, AP2/ERF , WRKY and GATA transcription factors, FLZ zinc finger domain, PRP , and b561 proteins. Among them, the BjuB035910 gene was detected in the underground parts of the seedling and germination stages under moderate drought stress. GWAS and selective sweep analysis jointly identified the 23.955-24.089 Mb region of chromosome B06, where four genes ( BjuB022264, BjuB022292, BjuB022282 , and BjuB022235 ) were located, as confirmed by WGCNA analysis. A total of 125 SNPs with high linkage disequilibrium were found in this region, and 12 haplotypes were detected, with Hap1 being present exclusively in drought-tolerant materials and Hap3-Hap12 distributed in drought-sensitive materials. These findings provide new insights into the drought tolerance mechanisms of B. juncea and will contribute to the breeding of drought-tolerant rapeseed varieties.

This study aimed to test the efficiency of ethylene (Eth; 200 µL L −1 ethephon) in presence or absence of nitrogen (N; 80 mg N kg −1 soil) in protecting photosynthetic apparatus from copper (Cu; 100 mg Cu kg −1 soil) stress in mustard ( Brassica juncea L.) and to elucidate the physio-biochemical modulation for Eth plus N-induced Cu tolerance. Elevated Cu-accrued reductions in photosynthesis and growth were accompanied by significantly higher Cu accumulation in leaves and oxidative stress with reduced assimilation of N and sulfur (S). Ethylene in coordination with N considerably reduced Cu accumulation, lowered lipid peroxidation, lignin accumulation, and contents of reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide, H 2 O 2 , and superoxide anion, O 2 •− ), and mitigated the negative effect of Cu on N and S assimilation, accumulation of non-protein thiols and phytochelatins, enzymatic, and non-enzymatic antioxidants (activity of ascorbate peroxidase, APX, and glutathione reductase, GR; content of reduced glutathione, GSH, and ascorbate, AsA), cell viability, photosynthesis, and growth. Overall, the effect of ethylene-nitrogen synergism was evident on prominently mitigating Cu stress and protecting photosynthesis. The approach of supplementing ethylene with N may be used as a potential tool to restrain Cu stress, and protect photosynthesis and growth of mustard plants.

The naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria can be isolated from various sources. Pickled Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. et Coss. was used to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This study was conducted to compare the probiotic properties of probiotics isolated from pickled Vietnamese cabbage with some commercial strains of probiotics available on the Vietnamese market. The results showed that two strains (Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) isolated from pickled Vietnamese cabbage and three commercial strains of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus clausii, Lactobacillus acidophilus) all showed probiotic properties. Probiotic properties were evaluated through the ability to survive in low pH, pepsin, pancreatin, and bile salt media, the hydrophobicity of the bacteria, the antibiotic resistance, and the resistance to pathogenic bacteria. The isolated strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum had fewer probiotic properties than Bacillus subtilis but more than the two commercial strains Bacillus clausii and Lactobacillus acidophilus, and the isolated Lactobacillus fermentum showed the fewest probiotic properties of the five strains.

Obesity is a global health concern. Recent research has suggested that the development of anti-obesity ingredients and functional foods should focus on natural products without side effects. We examined the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of Brassica juncea extract (BJE) in combating obesity via experiments conducted in both in vitro and in vivo obesity models. In in vitro experiments conducted in a controlled environment, the application of BJE demonstrated the ability to suppress the accumulation of lipids induced by MDI in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Additionally, it downregulated adipogenic-related proteins peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBP-α), adipocyte protein 2 (aP2), and lipid synthesis-related protein acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). It also upregulated the heat generation protein peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and fatty acid oxidation protein carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1). The oral administration of BJE decreased body weight, alleviated liver damage, and inhibited the accumulation of lipids in mice with diet-induced obesity resulting from a high-fat diet. The inhibition of lipid accumulation by BJE in vivo was associated with a decreased expression of adipogenic and lipid synthesis proteins and an increased expression of heat generation and fatty acid oxidation proteins. BJE administration improved obesity by decreasing adipogenesis and activating heat generation and fatty acid oxidation in 3T3-L1 cells and in HFD-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. These results suggest that BJE shows potential as a natural method for preventing metabolic diseases associated with obesity.

Background Phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) is widely present in animals, plants, and microorganisms. Plant PEBP genes are mainly involved in flowering transition and nutritional growth. These genes have been studied in several plants; however, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have explored them in Brassica juncea var. tumida . This study identified and characterized the entire PEBP gene family of Brassica juncea var. tumida. Results A total of 21 PEBP genes were identified from Brassica juncea var. tumida . Through phylogenetic analysis, the 21 corresponding proteins were classified into the following four clusters: TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1)-like proteins ( n  = 8), MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (MFT)-like proteins ( n  = 5), FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) - like proteins ( n  = 6), and ybhB-like proteins ( n  = 2). A total of 18 genes contained four exons and had similar gene structures in each subfamily except BjMFT1 , BjPYBHB1 , and Arabidopsis thaliana CENTRORADIALIS homolog of Brassica juncea var. tumida (BjATC1) . In the analysis of conserved motif composition, the BjPEBP genes exhibited similar characteristics, except for BjFT3 , BjMFT1 , BjPYBHB1 , BjPYBHB2 , and BjATC1 . The BjPEBP promoter includes multiple cis-acting elements such as the G-box and I-box elements that respond to light, ABRE and GARE-motif elements that respond to hormones, and MBSI and CAT-box elements that are associated with plant growth and development. Analysis of RNA-Seq data revealed that the expression of a few BjPEBP genes may be associated with the development of a tumorous stem. The results of qRT–PCR showed that BjTFL1 and BjPYBHB1 were highly expressed in the flower tissue, BjFT1 and BjATC1 were mainly expressed in the root, and BjMFT4 were highly detected in the stem. The results of yeast two-hybrid screening suggested that BjFT interacts with Bj14-3-3. These results indicate that BjFT is involved in flowering regulation. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to perform a genome-wide analysis of  PEBP genes family in Brassica juncea var. tumida . The findings of this study may help improve the yield and molecular breeding of Brassica juncea var. tumida .

The effect of melatonin treatment on the visual quality and content of health-promoting compounds in baby mustard ( Brassica juncea var. gemmifera ) at 20°C was investigated in this study. Application of 100 μmol L –1 melatonin was the most effective in prolonging the shelf life of baby mustard among all of the concentrations tested (1, 50, 100, and 200 μmol L –1 ). The 100 μmol L –1 melatonin treatment also delayed the increase in weight loss and the decrease in sensory parameter scores; retarded the decline of chlorophyll content; slowed the decline in antioxidant capacity by maintaining the content of carotenoids and ascorbic acid, as well as increasing the levels of total phenolics; and increased the content of individual and total glucosinolates in the lateral buds of baby mustard. These findings indicate that melatonin treatment is effective for maintaining the sensory and nutritional qualities of postharvest baby mustard.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a representative obesogen that induces adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation by mimicking the action of hormones. is a plant belonging to the mustard family, and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity effects. However, its efficacy against obesogen-induced obesity requires further investigation. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesogenic effects of extract (BJE) on BPA-treated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and C57BL/6J mice. The treatment with BPA and BJE did not have cytotoxic effects in vitro. In addition, BJE inhibited BPA-induced lipid accumulation and suppressed BPA-induced changes in adipocyte differentiation, adipogenesis, and lipolysis protein expression in 3T3-L1 cells. Oral administration of BJE reduced body weight, adipose tissue mass, and adipocyte size in BPA-induced obese C57BL/6 mice. BJE also regulated the expression of proteins involved in adipocyte differentiation, adipogenesis, and lipolysis. These data demonstrate that BJE is a natural functional substance with anti-obesogenic effects.