White mustard (Sinapis alba) is an annual plant of the family Brassicaceae. It is sometimes also referred to as Brassica alba or B. hirta. Grown for its seeds, mustard, as fodder crop or as a green manure, it is now widespread worldwide, although it probably originated in the Mediterranean region.
White mustard , a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used in China for clinical prevention and treatment of the common winter diseases of asthma and bronchitis by percutaneous administration in the summer. Cytokines related to LCs migration including interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were also measured after white mustard extract treated at different time points. Compared to the untreated group, white mustard extract significantly enhanced the release of IL-1β and TNFα. The morphometric changes of LCs and the local cytokine release after topical white mustard treatment may explain the activity of the white mustard extract against asthma and bronchitis.