Genetic Potential and Possible Improvement of Sesamum indicum L.

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the traditional oil seed crop widely cultivated in many countries. The top producers of sesame seeds are mainly Tanzania, Myanmar, India, China and Japan. Sesame oil contains high level of unsaturated fatty acids (80%) and low levels of saturated fatty acids (20%). The main fatty acids are palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and trace amounts of linolenic fatty acids. Sesame seed contains 50–60% of high-quality oil rich in natural antioxidants such as sesamin, sesamolin, sesaminol and sesamol it enhances the stability and keeping quality of sesame oil. Sesame seeds have good sources of dietary fibre, fats, vitamins, minerals, proteins and rich in anti-oxidants. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in sesame will reduce the risk of high blood pressure, cardiac disorders and blood sugar levels. Sesame is believed to have been originated in India where maximum variability of genetic resources is available. High yielding varieties available to date have reached the yield plateau even with the advanced cultivation practices. The area under oilseed crops cultivation also reducing every year. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the oil content and yield of Indian sesame varieties. Understanding the available germplasm and novel interventions to develop high yielding varieties warrant both molecular and phenotypic data which is meagre in case of sesame.