Plant Name Crambe orientalis L. (С. amabilis Butk. et Majlun)
Botanical Info Perennial plant, 30—80 cm heigh
Geography the Caucasus: Western, Eastern and Northern Trans- Caucasus; Central Asia: Tien-Shan. (West). It grows on dry rocky and gravelly slopes in the lower-and middle zones, and as a weed in the crops.
Chemical Content Stems: Phospholipids are 0.04—0.1 % Leaves: Vitamins: С, carotene, peak in the fruiting stage. Phospholipids are 0.08—15 %. Buds, flowers Phospholipids are 0.6 and 0.63 % respectively. Fruit: Fatty oil is 25.35%, iodine number is 103.61. Seeds: Fatty oil is 18—43, iodine number is 104—136.05; in its acid content (in%): myristic 0.37, palmitic-2 – 3.47, stearic- 0.43, arachic-0.2—2.07, oleic-18—22.83, linoleic-11-13, linolenic- 9—24.99, erucic-30—36, palmitoleic-1.06, eicosanic-19—20, lignocerinic-0.99, arachidonic 0.2, eicosadiene-1.05 acids. Phospholipids are1.1 %
Traditional Use and Activity
Sprouts and leaves are used as antiscorbutic in the Caucasus. The plant is edible: seeds contain fatty oil. The spicy flavor and the scent of the plant comes from essential [volatile] oil that can be a used a substitute to horseradish. In culinary, the roots of Crambe orientalis are used raw and/or canned. The roots can be used in various sauces, salads, and as an additive to pickled cucumbers. The sauce from Crambe orientalis mixed with apples is a vitamins-rich dish. It is also used for medicinal purposes to improve appetite, normalize digestion, sooth stomachache, help with gums and oral cavity diseases. The grated Crambe orientalis can be used instead of mustard plasters. It is a fodder plant in the Samarkand region.