Sesame Oil

Sesame Oil, Oleum Sesami (ФУП), is obtained from the seeds of Sesamum orientale and Sesamum indicum, family Pedaliaceae-Sesameae; the seeds contain 45-57% oil. The plant is cultivated in India, China, the Levant, and western Africa. Processing of the seeds into oil is mainly carried out in southern France. Sesame cultivation is also conducted in the USSR. Cold-pressed sesame oil has a delicate pleasant taste and is used in food along with olive oil, as well as in medicine for ointments, plasters, suspensions, subcutaneous injections (in the form of camphor oil), oil emulsions, and other medicinal mixtures as the best substitute for olive (Provence), almond, and peach oils. It is also used in the manufacture of margarine. Sesame seed meal is used in the production of halva. Hot-pressed sesame oil is used for soap making and other technical purposes. In the glycerides of sesame oil, there is from 12.1% to 14.1% solid acids (palmitic and stearic) and up to 85-87% liquid acids [oleic about 70% and linseed (linoleic) more than 16%]. Sesame oil belongs to very drying oils; it dries significantly less than cottonseed oil; during storage it oxidizes and rancidifies much slower than both cottonseed and sunflower oil. Constants of sesame oil: rotation - right-handed + 0.8-----+ 1.6 (from phytosterol); unsaponifiable substances - from 0.95% to 1.32%; they consist of phytosterol, sesamin (crystalline alcohol), and "red" oil, which gives a characteristic color in the Boudouin reaction (see Fats). Sesame oil is used as an admixture to olive, almond, and other valuable oils, but it is easily detected by the characteristic Boudouin reaction for sesame oil. Sesame oil is adulterated with poppy, cottonseed, peanut, and rapeseed oils. Adulteration of sesame oil with poppy oil is recognized by the increased iodine number; adulteration with cottonseed oil - by the Halphen reaction (see Fats); peanut oil is detected by isolating arachidic acid. This adulteration is also recognized by the reduced specific gravity; rapeseed oil is detected by the reduction of specific gravity and especially by the low saponification number; the reaction for cruciferous oils is appropriate.