Effect of microwave pre-treatment on quality parameters in Indian mustard

Demand for edible oil from crops like groundnut, mustard and soybean, is increasing and likely to increase further. In this regard, Indian mustard seeds were treated with microwaves (MW), to investigate the possibility of enhancing oil yield and nutritional content. MW pre-treatment was given to the seeds of two Indian mustard varieties i.e. PM21 (V₁) and PDZ1 (V₂) for 0, 2, 4 and 6 min (H₀, H₂, H₄ and H₆ min respectively). MW treatment with increasing exposure time showed a linear reduction in the glucosinolate and erucic acid content with concomitant increase in oil yield and moisture loss in both the varieties, as evident from correlation and principal component analysis. Antioxidant capacity has increased with the reduction in phytic acid content (1.82) in V₂ at 6 min exposure time with respect to untreated control. Free radical scavenging activity was improved with increasing MW treatment in both the varieties. Therefore, from the obtained results, it is advisable to treat mustard seeds with MW before extraction of oil, because it gives a relatively good oil yield, with enhanced nutritional factors. Moreover, microwaving was effective in reducing glucosinolates and erucic acid also.