Chemical Aspects of the Antioxidative Activity of Roasted Sesame Seed Oil, and the Effect of Using the Oil for Frying

Abstract

Antioxidative constituents in roasted sesame seed oil were studied mainly by an antioxidative assay and HPLC analysis, in comparison with unroasted sesame seed oil. The main active constituent in fresh roasted seed oil was γ-tocopherol, but after heating at frying temperature for 1-2 hr, this was identified as sesamol, which was produced by hydrolysis of sesamolin that is present to a large degree in roasted sesame seed oil. This conversion of sesamolin to sesamol is catalyzed by acids.