Abstract:
The growing global population demand an increase in superior food sources to meet
essential nutritional requirements. Acknowledging the importance of nutrient-rich
foods, there is a greater attention on plant-based sources, particularly oilseeds, such as
sesame seeds, which are rich in proteins, minerals and fatty acids. This research
examined the nutritional profile of Pakistani sesame seed varieties (black and white),
specifically comparing their minerals and fatty acids composition. Using advanced
analytical techniques, gas chromatography is used for the fatty acids profiling which
indicated that black sesame variety has more contents of unsaturated fatty acids like
linoleic acid(C18:2) followed by the oleic acid(C18:1) as compared to white sesame
variety, confirming the potential of black sesame variety as a source of top quality oil.
Atomic absorption spectroscopy is used for mineral content which provide detailed
insights into the nutrient levels of both varieties. This work revealed that the higher
contents of minerals like calcium (703.33ppm), Iron (8.566ppm) and Potassium
(54.003ppm) were present in black sesame seed variety while white sesame variety
contain significant more contents of Magnesium (566.6 ppm) and Phosphorus (6196.7
ppm) as compared to black sesame variety. Results specified the significant change in
mineral and fatty acid contents among both varieties, with offering superior levels of
black sesame variety compared to the white sesame variety. Such variability and
superiority identifies the potential for selecting sesame seed varieties with optimal
nutrient profiles for improved dietary intake. This thesis contributes to a better
understanding of the nutritional potential of sesame seeds and emphasize the
significance of variety selection. The findings in this thesis lay a foundation for
upcoming analysis, nutritional suggestions and guidelines focused on enhancing the
health benefits of sesame seed consumption as sesame based food.
