Sesame

0.5-1 m tall herbaceous plant with thimble-like flowers and capsule fruits. These contain an oily seed. The seeds, oil and root of the sesame are used today for therapeutic and culinary purposes.

The cold-pressed sesame oil provides a high-quality edible oil. The second and third pressing oils are processed into soaps and lubricating oils.

Naturopathy: Sesamum indicum is the parent plant of Semen sesami, the sesame seed from which Sesami oleum raffinatum, the refined sesame oil used in naturopathy, is obtained.

Cosmetics: sesame oil cold-pressed from the sesame seed is used in cosmetic applications, see Sesam indicum oil (INCI), Sesam indicum oil unsaponifiables (INCI).

Due to the increasing consumption of sesame, especially in various Asian and oriental dishes, an increase in allergic reactions to sesame is to be expected in the future(sesame allergy). A protein with a molecular weight of 25 kDa, which belongs to the seed storage proteins and is resistant to heat and acid, has been identified as the responsible allergen. Sesame is one of the 14 main triggers for allergic reactions.

Allergic reactions to sesame oil are also known.

In addition, a non-IgE-mediated anaphylactoid reaction to sesame has also been described.

In Ayurvedic medicine, sesame oil is used externally for skin diseases. It serves mainly as a good medicine carrier.

Sesame oil contains glycerides of oleic acid (30-50%), linoleic acid (30-50%), stearic acid ((3-5%), palmitic acid (7-12%), arachidic acid (about 1%). Lignans (e.g. sesamin, sesamol) are characteristic components of sesame oil.

1. Senti G et al. (2000) Nuts, seeds and kernels from an allergological point of view. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 130:1795-1804
2. https://www.daab.de/blog/2023/08/sesam-kleines-koernchen-als-aufstrebender-allergieausloeser