This chapter concisely presents the state of knowledge about the
taxonomical and ethnobotanical aspects of the seeds of Sinapis alba L. (S. alba),
known as white or yellow mustard, belonging to the famous Cruciferaceae (or
Brassicaceae) family. It starts with an introduction to medicinal plants, the seeds of S.
alba, and their benefits for humans. This is followed by the systematics and taxonomy
of the seeds, which are very important for the identification and reconstruction of the
phylogeny of spices. In addition, the physical description of the plant and seeds has
also been explained in detail in this section. The main part of this chapter is devoted to
the extraction methods used to prepare essential oils and/or crude extracts from S. alba
seeds for chemical and biological valorization. The last part deals with the history and
the ethnomedical uses of the seeds.
Keywords: Sinapis alba, White mustard, Essential oil, Seeds, Biological activities.