Synonyms: Sesamum auriculatum C.Presl, Sesamum oleiferum Sm.
English Name: Sesame
Other Names in English: Beniseed, Benneseed, Benniseed
Family: Pedaliaceae
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About Sesame
Sesame is an annual plant whose height reaches one meter. The stems of the sesame plant are hairy and relatively thick, and their cross section is square. On the surface of these stems, four longitudinal and deep grooves can be seen. The leaves of this plant are slightly elongated, pointed, almost almond-shaped and sometimes heart-shaped, their edges are serrated and they grow reciprocally. The flowers are bell-shaped, slightly elongated, and integrated, and grow at the junction of the leaves. The flower color of some species is pink and others are white.
The fruits have green, elongated, pointed and prismatic pods with an octagonal base surface. Long and deep grooves can be seen on the surface of these pods. There are eight tanks inside each pod and a number of seeds inside each tank. The seeds of each tank are separated from the seeds of other tanks by a thin curtain, and each column of seeds is parallel to the other column. Sesame fruit seeds are small, drop-shaped, slightly wide, white, shiny, and oily. The seeds of some species of sesame plant are black. The best white sesame is fresh, slightly oily, and fully ripe.
Chemical Constituents
The seeds yield about 50% fixed oil, 22-25% proteins and upto 8% mucilage. The oil, a pale yellow odourless and tasteless liquid, consists of 45% oleic, 40% linoleic, 10% palmitic, 4% stearic and traces of arachidic and myristic acid glycerides. Also present in the oil is a phenol, sesamol, produced by the hydrolysis of a lignan, sesamolin.
Temperament: Hot and moist.
Health Benefits
Harms: It is slow to digest.
Modifier: Honey.
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