Brassica

***Brassica*** () is a genus o plants in the mustard faimily (Brassicaceae). The members o the genus are collectively kent as cruciferous vegetables, cabbitches, or mustards. Crops frae this genus are whiles cried *cole crops*, which is derived frae the Latin *caulis*, meanin *stem or cabbitch*.

Common types o brassica uised for fuid include cabbitch, cauliflouer, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, an some types o seeds. The genus is kent for containin mony important agricultural an horticultural crops. It an aa includes a nummer o weeds, baith wild taxa an escapees frae cultivation. It includes ower 30 wild species an hybrids, an numerous addeetional cultivars an hybrids o cultivatit origin. Maist are annuals or biennials, but some are smaa shrubs. Due tae thair agricultural importance, *Brassica* plants hae been the subject o much scienteefic interest. Sax parteecularly important species (*Brassica carinata*, *B. juncea*, *B. oleracea*, *B. napus*, *B. nigra* an *B. rapa*) are derived bi combinin the chromosomes frae three earlier species, as describit bi the Triangle o U theory.

The genus is native in the wild in wastren Europe, the Mediterranean an temperate regions o Asie. In addeetion tae the cultivatit species, which are grawn warldwide, mony o the wild species graw as weeds, especially in North Americae, Sooth Americae, an Australie.

A dislike for cabbitch, broccoli et.al. can be due tae the Brassica species containin a chemical seemilar tae phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), a chemical which is either bitter or tasteless dependin on ane's genetic makeup.

## Uises
### Fuid
Almaist aw pairts o some species or ither hae been developed for fuid, includin the ruit (swade, neeps), stems (kohlrabi), leaves (cabbitch, collard greens), flouers (cauliflouer, broccoli), buds (Brussels sprouts, cabbitch), an seeds (mony, includin mustard seed, an ile-producin raps). Some fairms wi white or purpie foliage or flouerheids are an aa whiles grawn for ornament.

*Brassica* species are whiles uised as fuid plants bi the larvae o a nummer o Lepidoptera species—see Leet o Lepidoptera that feed on Brassica.

### Medicine
Brassica vegetables are heichly regarded for thair nutreetional value. Thay provide heich amoonts o vitamin C an soluble fiber an contain multiple nutrients wi potent anticancer properties: 3,3'-diindolylmethane, sulforaphane an selenium. Boilin reduces the level o anticancer compounds, but steamin, microwavin, an stir fryin dae nae result in signeeficant loss. Steaming the vegetable for three tae fower minutes is recommended tae maximize sulforaphane.

*Brassica* vegetables are rich in indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells an appears tae block the grawth o cancer cells. Thay are an aa a guid soorce o carotenoids, wi broccoli havin especially heich levels. Researchers at the Varsity o Californie at Berkeley hae recently discovered that 3,3'-diindolylmethane in *Brassica* vegetables is a potent modulator o the innate immune response seestem wi potent antiviral, antibacterial an anticancer activity; houiver, it an aa is an antiandrogen.
Thir vegetables an aa contain goitrogens, which suppress thyroid function. This can induce hypothyroidism an goiter.

## Species
Thare is some disagreement amang botanists on the classification an status o *Brassica* species an subspecies. The followin is an abbreviatit leet, wi an emphasis on economically important species.

* *[[Brassica carinata|B. carinata]]*: Abyssinian mustard or Abyssinian cabbitch, uised tae produce biodiesel
* *[[Brassica elongata|B. elongata]]*: elongatit mustard
* *[[Brassica fruticulosa|B. fruticulosa]]*: Mediterranean cabbitch
* *[[Brassica juncea|B. juncea]]*: Indian mustard, broun an leaf mustards, Sarepta mustard
* *[[Brassica napus|B. napus]]*: raps, canola, swade (swede/Swedish neep/swede neep)
* *[[Brassica narinosa|B. narinosa]]*: broadbeaked mustard
* *[[Brassica nigra|B. nigra]]*: black mustard
* *[[Brassica oleracea|B. oleracea]]*: kail, cabbitch, broccoli, cauliflouer, *[[kai-lan]]*, Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi
* *[[Brassica perviridis|B. perviridis]]*: tender green, mustard spinach
* *[[Brassica rapa|B. rapa]]* (syn *B. campestris*): Cheenese cabbitch, Neep, rapini, *[[komatsuna]]*
* *[[Brassica rupestris|B. rupestris]]*: broun mustard
* *[[Brassica septiceps|B. septiceps]]*: seventop neep
* *[[Brassica tournefortii|B. tournefortii]]*: Asie mustard

### Ither species formerly placed in Brassica
* *B. kaber* (wild mustard or charlock)—see *[[Sinapis arvensis]]*
* *B. alba* or *B. hirta* (white or yellae mustard)—see *[[White mustard|Sinapis alba]]*
* *B. geniculata* (hoary mustard)—see *[[Hirschfeldia incana]]*

## Genome sequencin an genetics
Bayer Cropscience (in collaboration wi BGI-Shenzhen, Cheenae, Keygene N.V., the Netherlands an the Varsity o Queensland, Australie) annoonced it haed sequenced the entire genome o rapeseed/canola (*Brassica napus*) an its constituent genomes present in *B. rapa* an *B. oleracea* in 2009. The *B. rapa* genome wis sequenced bi the Multinaitional Brassica Genome Project in 2011. This an aa represents the A genome component o the amphidiploid crop species *B. napus* an *B. juncea*. Comparative genomics

## See also
* Cruciferous vegetables for mair edible plants o the Brassicaceae faimily.
* Gene nomenclature
* Mustard plant
* Triangle o U

## References