In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a medicinal herb called Mustard Seed, which was first recorded in the "Mingyi Bie Lu". It is divided into two types: white mustard seed and yellow mustard seed. White mustard seed, also known as spicy vegetable seed, bitter mustard seed, or white mustard, is the seed of the cruciferous plant white mustard. It is mainly produced in Shanxi, Shandong, Anhui, Sichuan, and other provinces. According to the "Bencao Congxin", it states: "White mustard seed is pungent and warm, and it is good when produced in the north." It is commonly used in northern regions such as North China and Northeast China. It has a warm nature and a pungent taste, and it enters the lung and stomach meridians. The 2010 edition of the "Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China" states that its functions include warming the lungs and dispersing phlegm, promoting qi circulation, relieving pain, and treating conditions such as cold phlegm cough, chest and rib pain, phlegm stagnation in the meridians, joint numbness and pain, phlegm and warm flow, and carbuncle swelling and toxicity.
Yellow mustard seed is the mature seed of the cruciferous plant mustard. It has a hot nature, a pungent taste, and a slight toxicity. It enters the stomach and lung meridians. It is commonly used in Eastern China. Its efficacy is similar to white mustard seed, but white mustard seed is better at eliminating phlegm and relieving asthma. Therefore, if yellow mustard seed is used as a substitute for white mustard seed, it should be used in larger quantities.
Identification:
White mustard seed is spherical with a diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters. The surface is grayish-white or pale yellow, smooth, and under a magnifying glass, fine reticulations can be seen. One end has a round, light brown seed hilum. When soaked in water, it swells, and after removing the seed coat, two thick cotyledons can be seen, oily in texture, longitudinally folded together, with the embryonic root hidden in between. It has a slight scent and a pungent taste. When crushed and moistened, it emits a special pungent smell.
Yellow mustard seed is spherical with a diameter of 1 to 2 millimeters. The surface is yellow to brownish-yellow, with a few appearing dark reddish-brown, and it has fine reticulations and dot-like seed hilum. The seed coat is thin and brittle, and the cotyledons are folded and oily. It has a slight scent, and when crushed and moistened, it produces a pungent and distinctive smell.
Microscopic identification:
Transverse section of white mustard seed: The outermost layer is a row of elongated epidermal mucilage cells, with the outer wall specialized into a mucilage layer. There are 1 to 2 rows of thin-walled subepidermal cells, followed by a row of parenchyma cells with thickened inner walls and half of the side walls, and a layer of degenerate pigment cells. The endosperm consists of a row of rectangular or elongated cells containing starch granules, with a layer of degenerate cells below. The cotyledons are well-developed with starch granules and oil droplets.
Transverse section of yellow mustard seed: The epidermal cells are arranged in a row and elongated. The subepidermal cells are nearly square or elongated, about 20 micrometers wide, with thickened inner walls and side walls, and thin outer walls. The pigment layer is adjacent to the palisade cells. The endosperm consists of a row of rectangular cells containing starch granules, with a layer of degenerate cells below. The cotyledons and embryonic root cells contain fat oil droplets and starch granules.
In summary, there are differences between white mustard seed and yellow mustard seed in terms of efficacy and appearance. It is important to pay attention to these differences when using them. (Translated by [Your Name])
