Not AvailableDemand 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.Not Availabl
