Sesame

0.5-1 m high 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 especially for therapeutic and culinary purposes.

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

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

Cosmetics: in cosmetic applications, sesame oil cold-pressed from sesame seeds(INCI designation: Sesamum indicum oil) is used.

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 (see below nut). A protein with a molecular weight of 25 kDa, which belongs to the seed storage proteins, has been identified as the responsible allergen.

Allergic reactions to sesame oil are also known.

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. Switzerland Med Weekly 130:1795-1804