An Insight into Sesamolin: Physicochemical Properties, Pharmacological Activities, and Future Research Prospects

Abstract

Sesame seeds are rich in lignan content and have been well-known for their health benefits. Unlike the other sesame lignan compounds (i.e., sesamin and sesamol), the study of the pharmacological activity of sesamolin has not been explored widely. This review, therefore, summarizes the information related to sesamolin’s pharmacological activities, and the mechanism of action. Moreover, the influence of its physicochemical properties on pharmacological activity is also discussed. Sesamolin possessed neuroprotective activity against hypoxia-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in neuron cells by reducing the ROS and inhibiting apoptosis. In skin cancer, sesamolin exhibited antimelanogenesis by affecting the expression of the melanogenic enzymes. The anticancer activity of sesamolin based on antiproliferation and inhibition of migration was demonstrated in human colon cancer cells. In addition, treatment with sesamolin could stimulate immune cells to enhance the cytolytic activity to kill Burkitt’s lymphoma cells. However, the toxicity and safety of sesamolin have not been reported. And there is also less information on the experimental study in vivo. The limited aqueous solubility of sesamolin becomes the main problem, which affects its pharmacological activity in the in vitro experiment and clinical efficacy. Therefore, solubility enhancement is needed for further investigation and determination of its pharmacological activity profiles. Since there are fewer reports studying this issue, it could become a future prospective research opportunity.

A Status Review on Health-Promoting Properties and Global Regulation of Essential Oils

“…The COX-2 enzyme activates pain (a symptom of inflammation) mechanisms in the human body. The phytochemical components inherent to sesame seed oil, like sesamol, sesamin, and sesamolin, are responsible for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [ 37 ]. A clinical trial was conducted to investigate the effect of sesame oil on 40 hypertensive male and female patients aged 35–60 years [ 38 ].…”

Plant- and Animal-Based Antioxidants’ Structure, Efficacy, Mechanisms, and Applications: A Review

“…Secoisolariciresinol, matairesinol, pinoresinol, and lariciresinol are the common lignans from flax seeds and sesamin, sesamoiln, sesamolinol, and sesaminol are the common lignans from sesame seeds [30]. Sesamin and sesamolin possess antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anticancer activities, but sesamol, their decomposition product during the roasting process of sesame seeds (Figure 5), is the major antioxidant of the sesame seeds [31][32][33][34]. The common plant-based phenolic antioxidants are summarized in Table 1.…”

Sesamolin Attenuates Kidney Injury, Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction, and Gut Microbiota Imbalance in High-Fat and High-Fructose Diet-Fed Mice

“…Sesame seed (Sesamum indicum L.) and its oil are popular foods. Previously, sesame oil was found to have protective effects against kidney dysfunction. − Notably, sesamolin is a major lignan in sesame oil , and exhibits numerous benefits, including antimelanogenesis, neuroprotective activity, antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity, and enhancement of the cytolytic activity . In addition, experiments on animals have suggested that sesamolin is a potentially strong antioxidant against liver and kidney injuries. − However, whether sesamolin can mitigate kidney injury, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and gut microbiota imbalance in high-fat and high-fructose (HF–HF) diet-fed mice is unknown, and the underlying correlations among them need to be further established.…”