Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

florapal.org

Family

Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

White Mustard

Hebrew Name(s)

khardal lavan

חַרְדָּל לָבָן

Arabic Name(s)

khardal abiadh خردل أبيض
khardal barri خردل بري
lafiteh لفيتة

Life Form

Annual

Habitat

Nutrient-rich soils
ruderal

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Sinapis alba L.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Cardiovascular	High blood pressure (Hypertension)	Hypotensive	Cook aerial parts & eat.	Aerial parts	B
Gastrointestinal	Food poisoning	Anti-Infective	Add ground seeds to water & drink as needed.	Seed	B
Gastrointestinal	Gastric pain	Carminative	Cook seeds in water & drink.	Seed	Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Back pain	Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory	Grind seeds, wet with water & bandage on affected area.	Seed	Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Facial muscle cramps	Anti-spasmodic, Muscle relaxant	Grind seeds, add to "khamira" (sour dough or starch made from wheat) & apply to face for 15-30 min.	Seed	Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Rheumatic pain in muscles/ joints	Analgesic, Anti-arthritic, Anti-inflammatory	1. Prepare poultice of seeds on cloth + dough & apply to painful area for 5 min or more. 2. Sprinkle powdered seeds in hot bath & sit for 20 min.	Seed	Z
Respiratory	Asthma	Anti-asthmatic	1. Decoct crushed seeds in water & drink x3 cups/day. 2. Eat ground seeds.	Seed	Z

Notes

Cautions

Sinapis alba ingestion in large amounts can cause irritant poisoning. Contraindicated in children below 6 yrs & patients with renal disease, gastric tract ulcers & mustard allergy. Externally seeds can irritate & burn skin so poultice use is limited to 10-15 min in adults (less in sensitive individuals) & 5-10 min children. Prolonged use causes skin & nerve damage. Plant is possibly poisonous once seedpods are formed. Oral use is linked to hyperthroidism, goitre & seed retention in intestine.

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.