The bold, sound and clean seeds yield a higher percentage of oil than the damaged ones or those containing higher content of refraction. The oil content of various types of rapeseed and mustard is as follows ¨C yellow sarson, 35.0-48.0% brown Sarson, 35.0-48.0% toria, 33.0-46.0%, lahi, 30-0-38.0% and rai, 30.0-42.0%.
What is mustard oil used for?
It is employed as a liniment for rheumatic pains and as a substitute for camphorated oil. The volatile oil of mustard is given internally in colic; in overdoses it is highly poisonous, producing gastro-enteric inflammations and probably interfering with vital processes by pervading the whole system.
Does mustard oil have erucic acid?
The high content of erucic acid in mustard oil has been reported to affect the metabolism of experimental animals in various ways. The poor digestibility of the oil by rats has been attributed to slow rate of absorption of erucic acid from the intestine. However, later work has shown that the oil is highly digestible.