Value addition in sesame: A perspective on bioactive components for enhancing utility and profitability

Abstract

Sesame seed is a reservoir of nutritional components with numerous beneficial effects along with health promotion in humans. The bioactive components present in the seed include vital minerals, vitamins, phytosterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols and unique class of lignans such as sesamin and sesamolin. The presence of phenylpropanoid compounds namely lignans along with tocopherols and phytosterols provide defense mechanism against reactive oxygen species and increases keeping quality of oil by preventing oxidative rancidity. In this article, we have reviewed the nutraceutical, pharmacological, traditional and industrial value of sesame seeds with respect to bioactive components that hold high antioxidant value. Valuable information on superior functional components of sesame will strongly promote the use of sesame seeds in the daily diet world-wide. In spite of huge repertoire of sesame germplasm collection, limited research efforts on the use of conventional and biotechnological methodologies have resulted in minimal success in developing nutritionally superior cultivars. In consequence, value addition efforts in sesame would enable development of genotypes with high antioxidant activity and subsequently prevention of free radical related diseases. Modification of bioactive components in sesame would enable production of stabilized sesame oil with enhanced shelf life and better market value.

Sesamol decreases melanin biosynthesis in melanocyte cells and zebrafish: Possible involvement of MITF via the intracellular cAMP and p38/JNK signalling pathways

“…Sesame seeds are rich in methylene dioxyphenyl phytochemicals called lignans. Sesame lignans, which play an important role in plant defense, are unique phenolic antioxidants with many health benefits 36. Sesamol (3,4‐methylene dioxyphenol) is a simple phenolic constituent present in sesame oil that reduces free radicals and prevents certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis and other degenerative diseases related to oxidative stress 37.…”

Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Propolis Ethanolic Extract from Tetragonula Bee

“…28 The presence of phenylpropanoid compound namely lignan such as sesamin provide adefense mechanism against reactive oxygen species. 29 Kushenol-F, a flavonoid compound, also indicate the complex antioxidant activity. The content of 8-epi-helenalin compounds in this research, was the first reported to be found in propolis.…”

The Emerging Oilseed Crop Sesamum indicum Enters the “Omics” Era

“…Knowledge on the genetic diversity and population structure of germplasm collections is an important foundation for crop improvement and a key component of effective conservation and breeding strategies (Thomson et al, 2007). Pathak et al (2014) have previously reviewed in detail the numerous genetic diversity studies conducted on sesame germplasms. It emerges that sesame harbors a valuable diversity and incongruence between geographical proximity and genetic distance has been reported (Bhat et al, 1999; Laurentin and Karlovsky, 2006; Abdellatef et al, 2008; Pham et al, 2009; Zhang Y. et al, 2012; Alemu et al, 2013; Abate et al, 2015).…”