Chapter 12
Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seed
Loveleen Sharma, Charaniv Singh Saini, Sneh Punia, Vikash Nain,
and Kawaljit Singh Sandhu
Abstract Sesame, an erect annual herb, is a member of the Pedaliaceae family and
contains 45–65% oil. Tanzania is the largest producer of sesame oil followed by
China, India, and Sudan. Apart from oil, sesame seeds are a rich source of protein
and calcium. It is rich in methionine, valine, and tryptophan which are deficient in
many other pulses and crops. Bioactive components such as phenolics, vitamins,
phytosterols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids are present in sesame seeds which
provide a beneficial effect on human health. Sesame has the potential to establish
itself as a major oilseed crop, and its better performance, yield, oil quality, and
quantity would also provide benefits to the farmers from the area where sesame is
grown as a regular crop. Also, sesamin, a lipid-soluble lignan which is present in
sesame has, been garnering considerable attention as an anticancer agent. Sesame
seeds are reported to be a rich source of phytates compared to soya beans. Sesame
oil, due to its excellent keeping quality, fatty acid composition, and good amount of
highly active tocopherol, has found versatile use in the food processing industry as
cooking oil, in salad dressing, soups, confectionery, etc. This chapter provides an
overview origin, history, nutritional value, production status, and future aspects of
sesame.
Keywords Sesame oil · Sesamin · Lignan · Anticancer · Sesame meal
L. Sharma (*)
Amity Institute of Food Technology (AIFT), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
e-mail: lsharma8@amity.edu
C. S. Saini
Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Longowal, Punjab, India
S. Punia · V. Nain
Department of Food Science and Technology, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana,
India
K. S. Sandhu
Department of Food Science and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical
University, Bathinda, Punjab, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_12
305
Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seed
Loveleen Sharma, Charaniv Singh Saini, Sneh Punia, Vikash Nain,
and Kawaljit Singh Sandhu
Abstract Sesame, an erect annual herb, is a member of the Pedaliaceae family and
contains 45–65% oil. Tanzania is the largest producer of sesame oil followed by
China, India, and Sudan. Apart from oil, sesame seeds are a rich source of protein
and calcium. It is rich in methionine, valine, and tryptophan which are deficient in
many other pulses and crops. Bioactive components such as phenolics, vitamins,
phytosterols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids are present in sesame seeds which
provide a beneficial effect on human health. Sesame has the potential to establish
itself as a major oilseed crop, and its better performance, yield, oil quality, and
quantity would also provide benefits to the farmers from the area where sesame is
grown as a regular crop. Also, sesamin, a lipid-soluble lignan which is present in
sesame has, been garnering considerable attention as an anticancer agent. Sesame
seeds are reported to be a rich source of phytates compared to soya beans. Sesame
oil, due to its excellent keeping quality, fatty acid composition, and good amount of
highly active tocopherol, has found versatile use in the food processing industry as
cooking oil, in salad dressing, soups, confectionery, etc. This chapter provides an
overview origin, history, nutritional value, production status, and future aspects of
sesame.
Keywords Sesame oil · Sesamin · Lignan · Anticancer · Sesame meal
L. Sharma (*)
Amity Institute of Food Technology (AIFT), Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
e-mail: lsharma8@amity.edu
C. S. Saini
Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and
Technology, Longowal, Punjab, India
S. Punia · V. Nain
Department of Food Science and Technology, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana,
India
K. S. Sandhu
Department of Food Science and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical
University, Bathinda, Punjab, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_12
305