Raphanus sativus - Mulaka

Mulaka, Raphanus sativus

Mulaka is a plant in the mustard family cultivated throughtout the world for its pungent edible roots.

Uses

Hemmarhoids, Burning sensation, Eye disorders, Cough.

Parts Used

Flowers, Leaves, Roots

Chemical Composition

Raphanus sativus consists of two terpenes (12–13), and two phenolic acids (14–15). All chemical structures were elucidated via 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic methods, and further supported by comparison with literature data. Compound 11 was isolated from the genus Raphanus for the first time. Notably, Compounds 7, 9, and 12–14 were reported in the Brassicaceae family for the first time. The chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds is discussed.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Moolangi,
Hindi	Mooli
Malayalam	Kankapal, Mullangi
Tamil	Mullangi
Telugu	Mullangi
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Mulaka, Mulakam, Muli, Mulika
English	Radish

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter), Katu (Pungent)

Guna

Laghu (Light)

Veerya

Sheeta (cold)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Pitta, Vata, Kapha

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Lyrate	Alternate	Lower leaves lyrate-pinnatifid, ovate-oblong in general outline, long-stalked, 3-5-jugate, terminal lobes suborbicular, rounded at apex, crenate along margins.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	Racemes	White/pink		Racemes many flowered, up to 40 cm long in fruit. pedicels 1-2 cm long in fruit.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
Siliqua	2-6 x 0.4-0.5 cm	Beak conical, seedless, 1-2 cm long; valves spongy, scarsely ribbed, often obscurely constricted between seeds		{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Moolaka kshara, Moolakadi kashaya, Shushka mulaka taila, Sarshapadi pralepa, Punarnavaasava, Live 52

Mode of Propagation

Seeds

How to plant/cultivate

Seed - sow in situ in succession. Germination takes place within a few days of sowing the seed. If you want a constant supply of the roots then you need to sow seed every 2 - 3 weeks.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area, Sub Tropical area

Photo Gallery

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External Links

• Raphanus sativus on entranceindia.com
• Raphanus sativus on www.iamj.in
• Raphanus sativus on joyfulbelly.com