Sesame Pharma
Sesame oil and its extracts have been long used in treatment of human, which dates back to 4th century when Chinese used sesame oil for toothaches and gum diseases. Indians have also used sesame oil as antibacterial mouthwash and to relieve anxiety and insomnia.
In modern medicine, sesame oil is used as a solvent for intramuscular injections and has nutritive, demulcent, and emollient properties and has been used as a laxative.
Many degenerative diseases are caused by the excessive production of free radicals & these free radicals can be fought by antioxidants which are found in flavonoid compounds, Sesame seed has that high amount of Flavonoid compound. Flavonoids are also proven to be very effective in Hypoglycaemic disease. .....
In addition to its use as an antioxidant, sesame oil contains a large amount of linoleate in triglyceride form that selectively inhibit malignant melanoma growth.
Sesame oil also contains Lecithin, whichis used for treating memory disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is also used for treating gallbladder disease, liver disease, certain types of depression, high cholesterol, anxiety, and a skin disease called eczema.
Many nutraceutical uses have been discovered from sesame. Sesame lignans have antioxidant and health promoting activities. High amounts of both sesamin and sesamolin have been identified in sesame. Both sesamin and sesamolin were reported to increase both the hepatic mitochondrial and the peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation rate. Sesame seed consumption appears to increase plasma gamma-tocopherol and enhanced vitamin E activity which are believed to prevent cancer and heart disease. Historically, fiber is used as an antidiabetic, antitumor, antiulcer, cancer preventive, cardioprotective, and laxative. Fiber ranges from 27,100 ppm to 67,000 ppm in the seed with up to 166,000 ppm in the leaf. Sesame seed contains lecithin which has antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity. Lecithin is also likely effective for reducing hepatic steatosis in long term parenteral nutrition patients and a successful treatment for dermatitis and dry skin.
Nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, industrial and traditional uses of sesame nutritional components and oil:
Below table depicts how different countries are using Sesame as part of their medicine:
| Use | Country |
|---|---|
| Cancer | Germany |
| Cold | Dominican Republic |
| Colic | Haiti |
| Constipation, head cold, impotency, laxative, tonic, malaria, cold preventive, cancer, diarrhea, sore, venereal, wart | China |
| Cough | Venezuela |
| Dysentery, laxative | Turkey |
| Laxative | Mexico |
| Tonic | Malaya |
| Tumor | India |