Abstract
Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) has emerged a key health problem in Pakistan. It mostly affects the well-being of pregnant women and young children. Almost 1/3 children under the age of five years are underweight, and rest are affected by stunting and wasting. Hence, there is a great need to explore the nutritional attributes and health benefits of locally grown crops for alleviating malnutrition among the masses. In this study, the nutritive and therapeutic potential of eight Pakistani sesame cultivars including four white (TH-6, TS-5, TS-3, Til-89) and four black (S-122, S-117, S-131, Latifi) were assessed for their proximate composition, mineral profile, amino acids composition, antioxidants potential and functional components. The proximate and mineral composition of sesame flours of white and black cultivars revealed varying degree of moisture, protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash and nitrogen free extract. Regarding antioxidant potential and bioactive components, total phenolics, sesamin, sesamol and sesamolin were ranged from 1.56±0.025 to 7.32±0.219 mg GAE/g, 1521.00±27.30 to 3996.00±129.90 ppm, 3121.00±86.60 to 4303.00±133.37 ppm and 1532.33±31.89 to 3564.00±65.82 ppm, respectively. Among the different cultivars, the maximum value of sesamin was observed in TH-6, whereas sesamol and sesamolin concentrations were higher in S-122 (black cultivar). It is obvious from the results that sesamin and sesamol contents were higher in white sesame cultivars whereas sesamolin was more in black cultivars. In crux, indigenously grown sesame cultivars can contribute good quality protein as well as functional ingredients like phenolics, sesamin, sesamol and sesamolin which have the potential to alleviate PEM as well as numerous allied health disorders especially in developing countries.

Sabiha Abbas, Mian Kamran Sharif, Masood Sadiq Butt, Muhammad Shahid. (2020) SCREENING OF PAKISTANI SESAME CULTIVARS FOR NUTRITIVE VALUE AND BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS, Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 57, Issue 3.
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