Customary and Contemporary Application of Sesame in Human Health and Food - Abstract
Sesamum indicum L. commercially known as sesame or gingelly seed is mainly considered an oilseed crop worldwide belonging to the Pedaliaceae family. Sesame have been cultivated for thousands of years and has been valued in commerce since ancient and early modern times as food, oil rich seed and medicine and hence known as ‘queen of oil seeds. In recent years, it is emerging as a main key resource of phytochemicals in nourishing and useful aspects of human health and due to other nutritional considerations make it more favourable choice for food technologist and nutritionists to develop it as a functional food. Scientific evidence suggests that sesame consumption is supported due to its quality of available proteins, soluble fibres and a rich source of phenolic compounds which exhibits numerous positive effects. Gingelly is mainly known by its high alpha-linolenic acid content, but it is also a rich source of lignan, compounds which are biologically active in the prevention of some chronic diseases. The oil from sesame seed is abundant in linoleic and oleic acids, the majority of which are gamma-tocopherol and other vitamin isomers. The bioactive nutritional components reservoir present in sesame seed is having the numerous beneficial effects along with health benefits.