thickness and wall area in the sesamin-fed salt-loaded group and hence concluded
that sesamin holds the potential to be used as prophylactic treatment in hypertension
(Matsumura et al. 1998).
Sankar et al. (2006) investigated the effect of sesame oil in 22 male and 18 female
hypertensive diabetics patients aged 45–65 years old on atenolol (β-blocker) and
glibenclamide (sulfonylurea) medications. The subjects were instructed to use sesame oil in place of other cooking oils for 45 days and then switch over to their
regular oils for another 45 days. After 45 days of using sesame oil, the authors
observed that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 150 to
129.6 mmHg and 98.3 to 80 mmHg, respectively. However, when sesame oil
substitution was withdrawn, at the end of the ninetieth day, the systolic and diastolic
blood pressure increased to 140 and 90 mmHg, respectively. The authors reported
that sesame oil substitution also brought a favorable change in the anthropometric
measurements, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, plasma glucose, and levels of electrolytes and antioxidants in the subjects.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials were conducted by
Khosravi-Boroujeni and others to ascertain the role of sesame in hypertension. Eight
controlled trials (selected from PubMed (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing
and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) databases) with a total of 843 participants were selected for the study, and after a randomeffect meta-analysis, it was reported that sesame consumption can reduce systolic BP
(À7.83 mmHg, 95% CI, –14.12, À1.54; p < 0.05, I2 ¼ 99%) and diastolic BP
(À5.83 mmHg, 95% CI, À9.58, À2.08; p < 0.01, I2 ¼ 98%). Furthermore, for more
accuracy only high methodology quality trials (n ¼ 4) were analyzed, and it was
observed that sesame consumption brought a significant reduction in systolic BP
(À3.23 mmHg, 95% CI, –5.67, À0.79, I2 ¼ 33%), whereas a nonsignificant
reduction in diastolic BP (À2.08 mmHg, 95% CI, À4.85, 0.69, I2 ¼ 62%) was
observed (Khosravi-Boroujeni et al. 2017).
12.7.3 Cancer Prevention
Recently, sesame has been garnering considerable attention as an anticancer agent
owing to the presence of sesamin. Harikumar et al. (2010) found that sesamin, a
lipid-soluble lignan, inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells of lung, breast, pancreatic, colon, prostate cancer as well as of leukemia and multiple myeloma. It also
potentiated tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis and the suppression of
gene products linked to cell survival (e.g., Bcl-2 and survivin), proliferation (e.g.,
cyclin D1), inflammation (e.g., cyclooxygenase-2), invasion (e.g., matrix
metalloproteinase-9, intercellular adhesion molecule 1), and angiogenesis (e.g.,
vascular endothelial growth factor). In another study, sesamin was reported to
drastically inhibit the macrophage-enhanced proangiogenic activity, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) of breast
cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 (Lee et al. 2011).
12 Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seed
317
that sesamin holds the potential to be used as prophylactic treatment in hypertension
(Matsumura et al. 1998).
Sankar et al. (2006) investigated the effect of sesame oil in 22 male and 18 female
hypertensive diabetics patients aged 45–65 years old on atenolol (β-blocker) and
glibenclamide (sulfonylurea) medications. The subjects were instructed to use sesame oil in place of other cooking oils for 45 days and then switch over to their
regular oils for another 45 days. After 45 days of using sesame oil, the authors
observed that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 150 to
129.6 mmHg and 98.3 to 80 mmHg, respectively. However, when sesame oil
substitution was withdrawn, at the end of the ninetieth day, the systolic and diastolic
blood pressure increased to 140 and 90 mmHg, respectively. The authors reported
that sesame oil substitution also brought a favorable change in the anthropometric
measurements, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, plasma glucose, and levels of electrolytes and antioxidants in the subjects.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials were conducted by
Khosravi-Boroujeni and others to ascertain the role of sesame in hypertension. Eight
controlled trials (selected from PubMed (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing
and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) databases) with a total of 843 participants were selected for the study, and after a randomeffect meta-analysis, it was reported that sesame consumption can reduce systolic BP
(À7.83 mmHg, 95% CI, –14.12, À1.54; p < 0.05, I2 ¼ 99%) and diastolic BP
(À5.83 mmHg, 95% CI, À9.58, À2.08; p < 0.01, I2 ¼ 98%). Furthermore, for more
accuracy only high methodology quality trials (n ¼ 4) were analyzed, and it was
observed that sesame consumption brought a significant reduction in systolic BP
(À3.23 mmHg, 95% CI, –5.67, À0.79, I2 ¼ 33%), whereas a nonsignificant
reduction in diastolic BP (À2.08 mmHg, 95% CI, À4.85, 0.69, I2 ¼ 62%) was
observed (Khosravi-Boroujeni et al. 2017).
12.7.3 Cancer Prevention
Recently, sesame has been garnering considerable attention as an anticancer agent
owing to the presence of sesamin. Harikumar et al. (2010) found that sesamin, a
lipid-soluble lignan, inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells of lung, breast, pancreatic, colon, prostate cancer as well as of leukemia and multiple myeloma. It also
potentiated tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis and the suppression of
gene products linked to cell survival (e.g., Bcl-2 and survivin), proliferation (e.g.,
cyclin D1), inflammation (e.g., cyclooxygenase-2), invasion (e.g., matrix
metalloproteinase-9, intercellular adhesion molecule 1), and angiogenesis (e.g.,
vascular endothelial growth factor). In another study, sesamin was reported to
drastically inhibit the macrophage-enhanced proangiogenic activity, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) of breast
cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 (Lee et al. 2011).
12 Sesame (Sesamum indicum) Seed
317