Raphanus sativus

Botanical Name

Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus (L.) Domin,

Family  

Brassicaceae.

Synonyms

Raphanus sativus L.; Raphanus niger Mill.; Raphanus raphanistrum var. sativus (L.) Schmalh.

Regional Name

English : Radish, Hindi : Muli, Sanskrit : Moolaka, Muli, Urdu :Muli, Punjabi :Mulaka, Muli, Mula, Gujrati :Mulo, Bengali :Mula, Kannada :Moolangi, Malayalam :Mullanki, Marathi :Mula, Oriya :Mula, Rakhyasmula, Tamil :Mullangi, Telugu :Mullangi.

Part Used

Whole plant.

Description

Mooli is an annual herb, cultivated throughout the country up to an altitude of 3,000 m in the Himalayas and other hilly regions. Roots are cylindrical, variable size and thickness, having a few longitudinal striations; light greyish-brown externally and faint yellowish internally, Lower leaves are hairy, petiole 5-5.3 cm long, upper most leaves simple, sub-linear but narrowed at the base; bright green. Flowers are in long terminal raceme, bisexual, regular, complete 1-2 cm long, pedicel with scattered hairs; seplas 6.5-10 cm long, oblong, sometimes brown red; petals 1.7-2.2 cm long, stamen 6 in two whorls, two outer smaller and four inner longer; ovary superior, green or brown-purple, 10-12 ovuled; style about 4 mm long, 1-2 chambered. Fruit are siliqua, erect, cylindrical, 3-9 cm long and 0.8- 1.4 cm thick, continuous or more or less constricted, longitudinally sulcatus, greenish-yellow, occasionally pale purple. Reddish seeds are brown; irregularly globose, sometimes flattened, 2-4 mm long, 2 mm wide; surface generally smooth and sometimes wrinkled and grooved at micropylar end; taste, oily.

Phytoconstituents

Glucoside, Volatile oil (containing butyl crotonylis thiocyanate sulphide) with a typical radish odour. Seeds contains sufloraphene, Sitostreol, Stearic acid, Castasterone and brassinolide. Leaves contains P-coumaric, ferulic and caffeic acids.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa :Katu, Tikta, Guna :Laghu, Tiksna, Vipaka :Katu, Virya :Usna, Karma :Dipana, Hrdya, Kaphahara, Picana, Pittahara, Rucya, Svarya, Vatahara.

Ayurvedic Applications

Agnimandya, Arsa, Gulma, Pinasa, Udavarta.

Medicinal Uses

Mooli is used for stomach and intestinal disorders, bile duct problems, retching, vomiting, loss of appetite, urinary disorders, throat disorders, pain and swelling (inflammation) of the mouth and throat, tendency towards infections, inflammation or excessive mucus of the respiratory tract, bronchitis, diabetes, headache, fever, colds, and cough, asthma, allergic conditions and sexual insomnia,