Sesamin

Other Names

(1S,3aR,4S,6aR)-1,4-Bis(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)hexahydrofuro[3,4-c]furan(7S,7′S,8R,8′R)-sesamin1,3-Benzodioxole, 5,5'-(tetrahydro-1H,3H-furo(3,4-c)furan-1,4-diyl)bis-, (1S-(1α,3aα,4α,6aα))-1,3-Benzodioxole, 5,5'-(tetrahydro-1H,3H-furo[3,4-c]furan-1,4-diyl)bis-, (1S,3aR,4S,6aR)-1,3-Benzodioxole, 5,5'-[(1S,3aR,4S,6aR)-tetrahydro-1H,3H-furo[3,4-c]furan-1,4-diyl]bis-1H,3H-Furo(3,4-c)furan, tetrahydro-1,4-bis(3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenyl)-, (+)-1H,3H-Furo(3,4-c)furan, tetrahydro-1,4-bis(3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenyl)-, (1S,3aR,4S,6aR)-5,5'-(1S,3aR,4S,6aR)-Tetrahydro-1H,3H-furo[3,4-c]furan-1,4-diylbis(1,3-benzodioxole)5-[(3S,3aR,6S,6aR)-3-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-1,3,3a,4,6,6a-hexahydrofuro[3,4-c]furan-6-yl]-1,3-benzodioxoleAsarinind-SesaminDESAMINEpi-sesaminEpisesaminFagarolPseudo cubebinRel-(7S,7′S,8R,8′R)-sesaminSesamin, (1r-(1alpha,3aalpha,4alpha,6aalpha))-isomerSesamineSezaminTetrahydro-1,4-bis[3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenyl]-1H,3H-furo[3,4-c]furan

Synopsis

Sesamin: A Comprehensive Reference

1. Identity and Chemical Characterization

1.1 Nomenclature and Chemical Structure

Sesamin is a lignan that consists of tetrahydro-1H,3H-furo[3,4-c]furan substituted by 1,3-benzodioxole groups at positions 1 and 4 (the 1S,3aR,4S,6aR stereoisomer). It belongs to the subclass known as furofuran lignans — major lignans of sesame belong to the furofuran family, in which the oxopropane side chains of phenylpropanoid building units are fused into 3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane. It has a role as an antineoplastic agent, a neuroprotective agent, and a plant metabolite, and is classified as a lignan, a member of benzodioxoles, and a furofuran. Sesamin's CAS registry number is 607-80-7, it has a molecular formula of C₂₀H₁₈O₆, and a molecular weight of 354.35 g/mol. It is practically insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents like ethanol and chloroform, a property directly relevant to both its extraction methods and its oral bioavailability.

1.2 Natural Sources and Abundance

Sesamin is classified as a furofuran lignan and is the most abundant water-insoluble lignan in Sesamum indicum (sesame) seeds. Sesamum indicum L., of the Pedaliaceae family, is the major source of sesamolin and other lignan compounds including sesamin, sesamol, sesaminol, sesamolinol, and glycosylated-lignans. Other sesame lignans such as sesamin were reported to be isolated from other plant species like Piper sp., Virola sp., Magnolia sp., and Camellia sp. Within sesame seeds, major lignans of sesame are sesamin and sesamolin, and the total content of these two lignans in sesame seeds may exceed 1.4%. When isolated from the oil, sesamin is acquired via extraction from sesame seed oil, and although sesame plants produce more sesamin than any other plant, the oil contains a maximum of 0.4–0.6% (w/w) sesamin.

The total plant lignan concentration in sesame seed (2180 µmol/100 g) was higher than that in flaxseed (820 µmol/100 g). This makes sesame seed one of the most lignan-dense dietary plants available. Sesamol is a degradation product that is present in traces in unroasted seeds but occurs at high concentrations in roasted seeds and processed sesame oil.

1.3 Biosynthesis

Sesamin is biosynthesized by the sesame cytochrome P450, CYP81Q1, through the formation of two methylenedioxy bridges in a precursor lignan, pinoresinol. Sesamin is biosynthesized by the Sesamum-specific enzyme CYP81Q1, and the natural sources of sesamin are annual plants that are at risk from climate change.

1.4 Physical Properties and Common Supplement Forms

In its pure form, sesamin appears as a white to off-white crystalline powder, with a neutral taste and no distinct odor. Commercially, it is prepared as standardized extracts typically containing 10%, 70%, or 90% sesamin by weight, and is available as capsules, tablets, or bulk powder. Specific techniques have been developed to increase the bioavailability of sesamin. These techniques include manufacturing sesamol solid lipid nanoparticles by adding lipid matrices, surfactants, and other excipients; altering the solubility of phytosterols by crystallization retardation; and applying colloidal systems, such as colloidal phytosterol synthesis. Because sesamin is fat-soluble, supplemental formulations intended for oral consumption frequently incorporate it into oil-based carriers or soft-gel capsule formats to improve intestinal absorption.

2. Historical and Traditional Use

2.1 Archaeological and Agrarian Origins

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is an erect annual plant of the family Pedaliaceae, grown since antiquity for its seeds, which are used as food and flavoring and from which a prized oil is extracted. Archaeological evidence suggests sesame was domesticated in the Indian subcontinent between 3500–3000 BC. By 2000 BC, sesame oil was a valuable commodity traded between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Ancient Egyptian medical texts, including the Ebers Papyrus (~1550 BC), listed sesame oil for medicinal use. The sesame plant likely originated in Asia or East Africa, and ancient Egyptians are known to have used the ground seed as grain flour. The seeds were used by the Chinese at least 5,000 years ago.

2.2 Traditional Chinese Medicine and East Asian Use

Sesame is used widely in China, Japan, and Korea as a cooking oil, and it is consumed for its medicinal qualities. In recent years, the Japanese have been identifying and quantifying the medicinal benefits of sesame. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sesame seed was regarded as a tonic of significant importance. Sesamum indicum is one of the most archaic crops, rich in nutrition and has been used as a nutritional product for a long history. It has been known to replenish liver and kidney, nourish blood, and moisten intestinal dryness. Previous studies found that sesamin is the most important ingredient to exert medicinal effects in this plant. In TCM, black sesame seeds in particular were prepared as tonics, decoctions, and therapeutic porridges for these purposes.

2.3 South Asian and Ayurvedic Use

Sesame (til) holds cultural importance during festivals like Makar Sankranti, when sweets like tilgul and chikki are prepared. Gingelly oil is used in pickles, curries, and Ayurveda, where sesame oil is applied in oil pulling and therapeutic massages for circulation and detoxification. In Ayurvedic tradition, sesame was extensively classified by the properties of its oil, which was used both internally and externally for a range of conditions. Sesame seeds have a variety of medicinal properties and are used for their tonic, nutritive, and diuretic properties in the treatment of asthma, dry cough, ulcers, inflammation, urinary diseases, vertigo, lung diseases, and migraines.

2.4 Southwest Asian and Mediterranean Use

Its seeds are used as food and flavoring. The chief constituent of the seed is its prized oil, 45–60% by weight, which resists oxidative rancidity. It is used as a salad or cooking oil, an ingredient in cosmetics, in the manufacture of soaps, pharmaceuticals, and lubricants, and was formerly used as a lamp oil. In Southwest Asia, the oil and seeds were used medically and in rituals throughout antiquity and the medieval period, as documented in historical manuscripts.

Note: Historical use refers to the whole sesame plant, seed, or oil, not to isolated sesamin. Sesamin as a purified compound is a modern scientific and commercial development. Traditional preparations were not standardized for sesamin content.

3. Key Constituents, Related Compounds, and Context

3.1 The Sesame Lignan Family

Sesame lignans (sesamin, sesamolin, and sesamol) are unique bioactive compounds responsible for the nutritional function of sesame oils. Numerous minor lignans present in seeds in low concentrations and/or generated by chemical transformations during seed and oil processing have been described. Among them, sesamol, episesamin and samin were studied extensively. Sesamin is the dominant lignan of the group, while sesamolin is a closely related furofuran lignan converted to sesaminol during processing. These compounds collectively account for much of sesame oil's remarkable oxidative stability.

3.2 Mammalian Lignan Precursor Activity

In vitro fermentation with human fecal inoculum showed conversion of sesamin to mammalian lignans, although at a lower rate (1.1%) compared with that of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (57.2%). When fed to female Sprague-Dawley rats for 10 days, sesamin (15 mg/kg body weight) and a 10% sesame seed diet resulted in greater urinary mammalian lignan excretion, compared to the control. Sesame seed is a rich source of mammalian lignan precursors and sesamin is one of them. The conversion efficiency of sesamin to mammalian lignans in humans is significantly lower than that of flaxseed's major lignan precursor, which is a relevant consideration when comparing sesamin's potential phytoestrogenic activity to flaxseed-derived lignans.

4. Mechanisms of Action

4.1 Antioxidant Activity

Studies focus on the abilities of sesamin to attenuate oxidative stress by reducing the levels of ROS and MDA, and to inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, etc.). Sesamin is a furofuran lignan that shows anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in the human liver. At the cellular level, sesamin upregulates endogenous antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase. By inhibiting the production of ROS, sesamin can also enhance the biological activities of NO in blood vessels, improve endothelial dysfunction and hypertension, and change the process of atherosclerotic lesion formation.

4.2 Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms: NF-κB and Related Pathways

Sesamin, a fat-soluble lignan derived from Sesamum indicum seeds and oil, has received increased attention due to its wide array of pharmacological properties including its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory potential. This includes mechanisms underlying the anti-hypertensive, anti-atherogenic, anti-thrombotic, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity, lipolytic effects of sesamin both in vivo and in vitro. The RAS/MAPK, PI3K/AKT, ERK1/2, p38, p53, IL-6, TNFα, and NF-κB signaling networks are all involved in moderating the various effects of sesamin on CVD and its risk factors. Pretreatment of HUVECs with sesamin (10 or 100 μM) inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors: NF-κB p65 and CAM-1, also decreasing cell adhesion via down-regulating the ERK1/2 and p38. In osteoarthritis chondrocytes, sesamin, a bioactive component extracted from sesame, has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. In studies evaluating the anti-inflammatory effects of sesamin on IL-1β-stimulated human osteoarthritis chondrocytes, results demonstrated that sesamin treatment significantly inhibited PGE2 and NO production induced by IL-1β.

4.3 Lipid Metabolism: PPARα Activation and SREBP-1 Suppression

Sesamin is reported to reduce the expression of lipogenic enzymes by binding to peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor alpha (PPAR-α). Sesame lignans (sesamin and sesamolin) act as potent modulators of lipid metabolism through the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), leading to enhanced fatty acid oxidation and reduced lipogenesis, which explains the observed improvements in lipid profiles. Additionally, sesamin modulates nuclear lipid receptors beyond PPARα: sesamin is an antagonist of LXRα and PXR, and may alleviate drug-induced lipogenesis via the suppression of LXRα and PXR signaling. Sesamin was applied to hepatic HepaRG cells and showed that it markedly ameliorated lipid accumulation by reducing LXRα transactivation, inhibiting the expression of downstream target genes. This combined action — promoting fat oxidation via PPARα while suppressing de novo lipogenesis via LXRα antagonism — provides a multi-nodal mechanism for its observed lipid-lowering effects.

4.4 Anticancer Mechanisms

Studies focus on the ability of sesamin to induce apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells through a variety of signaling pathways such as NF-κB, JNK, p38 MAPK, PI3K/AKT, caspase-3, and p53. In human breast cancer cells, sesamin induces growth arrest at the G1 phase in cell cycle progression in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Furthermore, sesamin dephosphorylates tumor-suppressor retinoblastoma protein (RB). Inhibition of MCF-7 cell proliferation by sesamin is correlated with down-regulated cyclin D1 protein expression, a proto-oncogene that is overexpressed in many human cancer cells. These findings are entirely from in vitro or animal models; no clinical human trials on sesamin as a cancer treatment have been completed.

4.5 Neuroprotective Mechanisms

Sesamin shows inhibitory effects on microglial activation. Studies investigated whether sesamin protects against neurotoxicity triggered by high glucose-induced microglial activation. High doses of glucose, which mimic hyperglycemia in DM, induced the activation of murine BV2 microglial cells, increasing inflammatory responses such as the production of ROS or inflammatory mediators like IL-1β, TNF-α, and nitric oxide, through activation of p38 and JNK signaling pathways. There are in vivo affirmations of the blood–brain barrier permeability of sesamin. Additionally, inhibition of CYP46A1 activity serves as a therapeutic target for excitatory neurotoxicity. Sesame is a common medicine and food resource; its component lignans possess various pharmacological activities.

4.6 Vitamin E Potentiation

Sesamin has been extensively studied in the context of tocopherol (vitamin E) metabolism. Research documented in the scientific literature indicates that sesamin inhibits cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for the metabolic degradation of tocopherols, thereby increasing their circulating concentrations. Sesamin works synergistically with omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) to enhance liver fatty acid oxidation, particularly increasing peroxisomal oxidation and gene expression of related enzymes. This interaction between sesamin and omega-3 fatty acids is considered among its more pharmacologically relevant synergies in the context of lipid metabolism.

5. Scientific Evidence by Health Area

5.1 Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Lipid Profile and Blood Pressure

5.1.1 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Evidence

The goal of a 2022 systematic review was to summarize evidence of the effects of sesamin supplementation on obesity, blood pressure, and lipid profile in humans by performing a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Five databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched electronically from inception to July 2021. Seven trials (n = 212 participants) were included in the overall analysis. Results showed that sesamin supplementation caused a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: −10.893 mg/dl, 95% CI: −19.745 to −2.041, p = 0.016), LDL-c (WMD: −8.429 mg/dl, 95% CI: −16.086 to −0.771, p = 0.031), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (WMD: −3.662 mmHg, 95% CI: −6.220 to −1.105, p = 0.005), whereas it had no effect on HDL-c, triglycerides (TG), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), or weight. Subgroup analysis showed that duration, parallel design, and unhealthy status can affect TC, LDL-c, and SBP evidently.

A 2025 GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis examined sesame products and bioactive compounds across multiple clinical outcomes. Relevant research was discovered via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and EMBASE up to June 2024. The assessment of study quality was conducted using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Thirteen trials, with interventions ranging from 4 to 12 weeks and involving 521 participants, demonstrated significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

Evidence strength assessment: The 2022 meta-analysis is the primary human evidence base for sesamin's lipid and blood pressure effects. The total sample size of 212 participants across seven trials is modest. Effects on HDL-C, triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure, and body weight were not significant. Evidence is therefore preliminary-to-moderate in strength and warrants larger confirmatory trials.

5.2 Inflammation and Rheumatoid Arthritis

A 6-week sesamin supplement significantly lowered serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Consuming 10 g or less of sesame significantly reduced CRP levels in healthy subjects regardless of sex or those at risk but without chronic disease, in a duration of less than 6 weeks, in a sample size of more than 40 subjects, compared to baseline measurements. These findings are consistent with previous clinical research, indicating that sesame supplementation significantly reduces inflammatory markers. In one clinical study in women with rheumatoid arthritis, sesamin (around 200 mg/day) added to standard treatment improved inflammatory markers and reduced tender joint counts over several weeks.

Evidence strength assessment: Evidence in inflammatory conditions is preliminary. The number of sesamin-specific human trials in rheumatoid arthritis is small (one RCT cited prominently in the literature). Confirmatory large-scale trials are lacking.

5.3 Glycemic Control and Type 2 Diabetes

A meta-analysis from 2024 included 10 trials involving patients with type 2 diabetes. It found improvements in lipid profile indicators but no significant effects on body mass index (BMI), body weight, or HDL levels. In cellular models, sesamin has been studied for protection against diabetic neurodegeneration: phytochemicals received increasing attention for their therapeutic effects on several diseases, and sesamin, a phytochemical with numerous reported beneficial effects on diabetes and its brain complications, is a type of lignan extracted from sesame seed oil whose antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties were confirmed by various studies.

Evidence strength assessment: Human clinical evidence for glycemic outcomes specifically attributable to isolated sesamin is limited. Most evidence relates to whole sesame products or sesame oil in diabetic patients. The mechanistic basis from animal and in vitro work is robust, but clinical translation remains to be confirmed in adequately powered sesamin-specific trials.

5.4 Sleep Quality and Oxidative Stress

Newer research has looked at sesamin's effects on sleep and oxidative stress in people with or at risk for obstructive sleep apnea. In a recent double-blind crossover trial, approximately 94.0 mg/day of sesamin was used. Sesamin supplementation was negatively correlated with the plasma MDA content, indicating that its antioxidant capacity was primarily manifested through reductions in lipid peroxidation markers. This is a nascent area of human investigation with limited data.

5.5 Hepatoprotection

Sesamin from Sesamum indicum seeds has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have focused on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of sesamin on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis in experimental rats and the potential mechanism underlying the activation of the NF-κB pathway. In the LXRα context, sesamin was able to protect hepatocytes against valproic acid (VPA)-induced hepatic lipogenic gene overexpression and lipid accumulation. Sesamin was shown to exert diverse beneficial effects on mammals including humans, including recovery of liver damage caused by ethanol and lipid oxidation. However, the majority of hepatoprotective evidence for sesamin specifically derives from animal and cell-based studies. Human clinical trials directly investigating sesamin's hepatoprotective properties as a primary endpoint are not yet established in the literature.

5.6 Anticancer Activity

Sesamin is a major lignan constituent of sesame and possesses multiple functions such as antihypertensive, cholesterol-lowering, lipid-lowering and anticancer activities. Several groups have previously reported that sesamin induces growth inhibition in human cancer cells. Sesamin, a natural phytochemical, may be a promising chemopreventive agent aiming to manage breast cancer. The anticancer activities of sesamin have been documented against numerous human cancers in various in vitro and animal models.

Evidence strength assessment: Preclinical only. All current anticancer evidence for sesamin is from in vitro cell culture and animal experiments. No human clinical trials evaluating sesamin as a cancer treatment or chemoprevention agent have been published. The mechanistic data are scientifically interesting, but clinical translation cannot be inferred from this evidence base.

5.7 Neuroprotection

Sesamin and sesamolin are major sesame lignans that have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective properties and potential benefits in the liver, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome. In animal models of cerebral ischemia, sesamin and sesamolin were shown to reduce neurological damage and oxidative stress markers. Sesamin metabolites facilitate neuronal differentiation and synaptic connection formation through the ERK1/2-MAPK signaling pathway, offering insights for neurological health.

Evidence strength assessment: Primarily preclinical. The neuroprotective evidence for sesamin is based on animal models (e.g., gerbil ischemia models) and in vitro cell systems. No adequate human clinical trials evaluating sesamin for neurological conditions have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature.

6. Body Systems Associated with Sesamin Activity

Cardiovascular system: Sesamin possesses multiple functions such as antihypertensive, cholesterol-lowering, lipid-lowering and anticancer activities. Significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure have been observed in meta-analyses of human RCTs.
Hepatic system: This comprehensive evidence highlights the mechanisms underlying the anti-hypertensive, anti-atherogenic, anti-thrombotic, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity lipolytic effects of sesamin, and identifies the signaling pathways targeted by sesamin and its metabolites. Hepatoprotective effects are established in animal models.
Immune/inflammatory system: Sesamin, a fat-soluble lignan derived from Sesamum indicum seeds and oil, has received increased attention due to its wide array of pharmacological properties including its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory potential.
Central nervous system: There are in vivo affirmations of the blood–brain barrier permeability of sesamin, supporting its potential to act centrally, though human CNS evidence is absent.
Metabolic/endocrine system: Through PPARα activation and AMPK pathway modulation, sesamin modulates glucose and fat metabolism. The stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway was followed by decreased LXRα-induced expression of lipogenic genes.
Musculoskeletal system: Sesamin has been explored in inflammatory joint conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, with one clinical study showing benefit on inflammatory markers and tender joint counts.

7. Dosage Forms and Doses Reported in Human Studies

Each of the included articles in the 2022 meta-analysis stated sesamin dosage, and four of the studies had dosages less than 200 mg/day. Four studies were on obesity, four studies were on blood pressure, and five studies were on lipid profile.

In some studies exploring the pharmacological activity of sesamin, the daily dosage of sesamin supplement taken by the patients was 200 mg per day. In the sleep quality trial referenced, a dose of sesamin supplementation at 94.0 mg/day was used. The rheumatoid arthritis trial cited in the literature used approximately 200 mg/day. Clinical trials included in the 2022 meta-analysis had intervention durations of at least 2 weeks. Sesamin is typically supplied in capsule or soft-gel form for clinical studies.

No regulatory authority (e.g., the U.S. FDA, EMA, or EFSA) has established an official Recommended Daily Intake or therapeutic dose for isolated sesamin, as it is marketed as a dietary supplement rather than an approved drug. Doses used in published human trials have ranged from below 100 mg/day to 200 mg/day.

8. Safety Considerations and Drug Interactions

8.1 Cytochrome P450 Inhibition and Drug-Food Interactions

The most pharmacologically significant safety concern with sesamin relates to its inhibition of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Sesamin was sequentially metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase or sulfotransferase. Whereas sesamin metabolism is mainly mediated by CYP2C9 in human liver, sesamin causes a mechanism-based inhibition (MBI) of CYP2C9. However, the metabolite-intermediate complex between CYP2C9 and sesamin was found to be unstable, and the effects of sesamin appeared to be minimal under the conditions studied.

The results of a 2026 in vitro study indicated that sesamin could trigger food-drug interactions (FDIs) by inhibiting the activities of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 at low doses. If more sesamin is consumed on a daily basis, there would be a higher risk of FDIs. CYP2C9 catalyzes the metabolic process of a variety of endogenous and exogenous substrates in the human body, including steroids, tolbutamide, diclofenac, and S-warfarin. Phenytoin is a typical CYP2C9 substrate drug with a narrow therapeutic window. This interaction is particularly significant because drugs with narrow therapeutic indices that are CYP2C9 substrates (including warfarin and phenytoin) could theoretically reach elevated plasma concentrations when co-administered with sesamin.

Sesamin is a novel functional inhibitor of PXR and may be a useful chemical tool for modulating PXR-regulated gene expression in vitro or in vivo. Inappropriate PXR activation leads to important and undesirable pathophysiologic consequences. One of PXR's main target genes is CYP3A4, a cytochrome that is variably expressed in the liver and small intestine cells. Drug-induced activation of CYP3A4 may affect the safety and effective dosing of narrow therapeutic index chemotherapeutic agents, if they are CYP3A4 substrates.

8.2 Species-Based Differences in Metabolism

A remarkable species-based difference was found in sesamin metabolism between humans and other animals; thus, it is very important that precautions are taken when predicting the physiological effects in humans from animal data. This finding is critically important for interpreting the large volume of rodent and animal studies available for sesamin: safety and pharmacokinetic data from those models may not accurately predict human responses.

8.3 Inhibition of UGT Enzymes

The results indicated that sesamin had no significant inhibitory effects on UGTs. However, since people may take sesame in excessive amounts, the FDIs mediated by UGTs still cannot be ignored. UGTs are a family of phase II metabolic enzymes responsible for glucuronidation of many pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, and bilirubin.

8.4 Sesame Allergy

Sesame is a recognized food allergen. Purified sesamin extracts derived from sesame seeds carry the potential for allergic reactions in individuals with documented sesame sensitivity. Regulatory authorities including the U.S. FDA (as of 2023) have classified sesame as a major food allergen. This applies to sesamin supplements sourced from sesame, which may carry trace seed proteins.

8.5 Evidence Limitations and Knowledge Gaps

Most of what we know about sesamin's effects comes from a combination of animal experiments, mechanistic cell studies, and a modest number of human trials using either purified sesamin, sesame lignan mixtures, or sesame-rich foods. The clearest human data relate to cardiovascular risk factors, oxidative stress, and certain symptoms such as joint pain and sleep quality. The available evidence provides valuable insights into sesame supplementation's potential benefits but highlights critical areas for future exploration. Larger, multi-center trials with diverse populations, extended follow-up periods, and detailed mechanistic studies are needed to validate and expand on the findings. A remarkable species-based difference was found in sesamin metabolism between humans and other animals; it is very important that precautions are taken when predicting the physiological effects in humans from animal data.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Sesamin may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Sesamin may help support.

No body systems available.