Mustard oil is the preferred edible oil in the northern and eastern parts of India. Mustard oil is often adulterated with argemone seed oil and consumption of such oil leads to epidemic dropsy.
The toxic effects of argemone oil have been attributed to the presence of benzophenanthridine alkaloids, sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine. Argemone mexicana oil causes dilatation of the smaller arterioles and capillaries, leading to the leakage of serum albumin.
Light pale cheaper oils, dyed with synthetic colours like butter yellow (3′-methyl-4-dimethyl-aminoazobenzene) along with the addition of mustard pungency factor, allyl isothiocyanate, are sometimes sold under the pretext of mustard oil.
In a set of over 100 unpacked mustard oil samples collected during July 2002 from different markets of Lucknow, (India) showed that more than 50% samples were artificially coloured with butter yellow. Butter yellow causes hepatic and skin tumours as well as cancer in respiratory tract.
Due to its highly reactive and toxic properties, argemone mexicana oil and butter yellow has been banned for food usage.
A study was conducted in gall bladder of Swiss albino mice to investigate the potential aetiological factors of gall bladder carcinoma in the Indo-Gangetic basin.
The study concludes that argemone oil and butter yellow are responsible for producing gall bladder cancer in mice along with stone formation in the argemone oil exposed animals.
