Nutraceutical Benefits of Sesame Seeds and Oil: An Appraisal of Their Lignan Content and Health Implications

Sesame seed (Sesamum indicum L.) is a rich source of edible oil and lignans with a wide range of potential biological activities. The major lignans in sesame seeds are the oil-soluble sesamin and sesamolin, as well as glucosides of sesaminol and sesamolinol that reside in the defatted sesame flour. These properties have been proven to be very useful to humans when consumed.

The information in this paper is very vital to those in the field of nutrition who are working on the job to handle the linkage between food and the well-being of humans. Subsequently, the eating of sesame seed products is growing steadily in many countries in the world, it is imperative to know about the contribution of lignans and sesame oil in food. Sesame seed is widely used in food and nutraceutical industries in many countries because of its high oil, protein and antioxidant contents. Sesame oil contains sesamin, sesamolin and sesaminol lignan fractions, which are known to play an important role in its oxidative stability and antioxidative activity. It is widely known as one of the natural health-promoting foods that have the potential to prevent various disorders such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia cancer and aging. Additionally, sesame oil may be useful in handling oxidative stress-associated diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, obesity, chronic renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, sesame oil has multiple physiological functions such as decreasing blood lipids and arachidonic acid levels, increasing antioxidative ability and
-tocopherol bioavailability, and providing anti-inflammatory function and potential estrogenic activity. Several health-promoting effects are attributed to its lignans. Hence, this article highlights and discusses the potential health-endorsing effects of sesame and its oil with prominence on the role of lignans.