Sesame seed is a rich source of dietary lignans

The variation in the contents of sesamin and sesamolin was studied in oils extracted from 65 samples of sesame seeds ( Sesamum indicum L.) from plants with shattering ( n =29), semishattering ( n =7), and nondehiscent ( n =29) capsules. The oil content ranged from 32.5 to 50.6% and was greater in white than black seeds ( P <0.001). The sesamin and sesamolin contents in seeds ranged from 7 to 712 mg/100 g (mean±SD, 163±141 mg/100 g) and from 21 to 297 mg/100 g (101±58 mg/100 g), respectively, with no difference between black and white seeds. Thus, there was a wide variation in the contents of sesamin and sesamolin, which were positively correlated ( R 2 =0.66, P <0.001). There were negative correlations between the contents of sesamin and the contents of sesaminol ( R 2 =0.37) and sesamolinol ( R 2 =0.36) and between the content of sesamolin and those of sesaminol ( R 2 =0.35) and sesamolinol ( R 2 =0.46) ( P <0.001). Sesame seeds had an average of 0.63% lignans, making them a rich source of dietary lignans.