botanical record · discovered
Sesame
Sesamum indicum
Sesame · Benneseed · Beni · Ajonjoli (Sp.) · Sesamo (Sp.) · Austrumu jeb Indijas sezams · Beniseed · Benne · Benue Oil · Bɛnɛ · Cultivated Sesame · Gingelly-Oil Plant · Gingilli · Harilik seesam · Indian Sesame · Lamti · Linga · Sem-Sem · Sem-Semoil · Sesame Oil · Sezam indyjski · Sezam wschodni · Sezamo
At a glance
Origin / distribution: Malaya, Ethiopia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Germany, Venezuela, China, Turkey
Cultural traditions: not documented
Recorded uses: Abortive, Ache(Ear), Alopecia, Aperient
Science studied: ACETYL-PYRAZINE, 2-ACETYL-PYRROLE, AGMATINE, ALANINE
Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗
Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.
Names and identity
Family: Pedaliaceae
Scientific name: Sesamum indicum
Common names: Sesame, Benneseed, Beni, Ajonjoli (Sp.), Sesamo (Sp.), Austrumu jeb Indijas sezams, Beniseed, Benne, Benue Oil, Bɛnɛ, Cultivated Sesame, Gingelly-Oil Plant, Gingilli, Harilik seesam, Indian Sesame, Lamti, Linga, Sem-Sem, Sem-Semoil, Sesame Oil, Sezam indyjski, Sezam wschodni, Sezamo
POWO: 675971-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone
History
The source record documents this plant in Malaya, Ethiopia, Elsewhere, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Germany, Venezuela, China and 12 additional places.
It records these historical or traditional applications:
- Abortive
- Ache(Ear)
- Alopecia
- Aperient
- Aphrodisiac
- Burn
- Cancer
- Catarrh
show 61 more documented entries
- Cold
- Cough
- Debility
- Demulcent
- Diarrhea
- Diuretic
- Dysentery
- Dysmenorrhea
- Emmenagogue
- Emollient
- Eruption
- Female
- Hair-Oil
- Impotency
- Kidney
- Labor
- Lactogogue
- Ladentifrice
- Laxative
- Leprosy
- Liver
- Malaria
- Medicine
- Neuritis
- Neuroparalysis
- Numbness
- Ointment-Base
- Ophthalmia
- Otorrhea
- Pediculicide
- Piles
- Poultice
- Preventitive(Cold)
- Preventitive(Convulsion)
- Rheumatism
- Shampoo
- Skin
- Soap
- Sore
- Tonic
- Tumor
- Tumor(Abdomen)
- Unguent
- Vertigo
- Wart
- Abortifacient
- Constipation
- Cold(Head)
- Lactagogue
- Liniment
- Paralysis
- Refrigerant
- Venereal
- Wound
- Bechic
- Bladder
- Colic
- Deafness
- Hair-Tonic
- Hairblack
- Lenitive
This summary is limited to the cited source record.
Origins and distribution
- Malaya
- Ethiopia
- Elsewhere
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Germany
- Venezuela
- China
- Turkey
- Johore
- Iraq
- Mexico
show 8 more documented entries
- India(Santal)
- Honduras
- Japan*
- Africa
- Nc
- India
- Java
- Kurdistan
Documented cultural uses
- Abortive
- Ache(Ear)
- Alopecia
- Aperient
- Aphrodisiac
- Burn
- Cancer
- Catarrh
- Cold
- Cough
- Debility
- Demulcent
show 57 more documented entries
- Diarrhea
- Diuretic
- Dysentery
- Dysmenorrhea
- Emmenagogue
- Emollient
- Eruption
- Female
- Hair-Oil
- Impotency
- Kidney
- Labor
- Lactogogue
- Ladentifrice
- Laxative
- Leprosy
- Liver
- Malaria
- Medicine
- Neuritis
- Neuroparalysis
- Numbness
- Ointment-Base
- Ophthalmia
- Otorrhea
- Pediculicide
- Piles
- Poultice
- Preventitive(Cold)
- Preventitive(Convulsion)
- Rheumatism
- Shampoo
- Skin
- Soap
- Sore
- Tonic
- Tumor
- Tumor(Abdomen)
- Unguent
- Vertigo
- Wart
- Abortifacient
- Constipation
- Cold(Head)
- Lactagogue
- Liniment
- Paralysis
- Refrigerant
- Venereal
- Wound
- Bechic
- Bladder
- Colic
- Deafness
- Hair-Tonic
- Hairblack
- Lenitive
Cultural record detail
These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.
- Abortive · Malaya · "
- Ache(Ear) · Ethiopia · "
- Alopecia · Elsewhere · "
- Aperient · Elsewhere · "
- Aphrodisiac · Dominican Republic · "
- Burn · Haiti · "
- Cancer · Germany · "
- Catarrh · Elsewhere · "
- Catarrh · Venezuela · "
- Cold · Dominican Republic · "
- Cough · Venezuela · "
- Debility · China · "
- Demulcent · Elsewhere · "
- Diarrhea · China · "
- Diuretic · Elsewhere · "
- Dysentery · Turkey · "
- Dysmenorrhea · China · "
- Emmenagogue · Johore · "
- Emmenagogue · Haiti · "
- Emmenagogue · Elsewhere · "
- Emmenagogue · Turkey · "
- Emollient · China · "
- Emollient · Elsewhere · "
- Emollient · Iraq · "
75 additional documented entries remain in the source record.
Contemporary uses
Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.
Scientific research
Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.
Indexed research records
- Sesamum indicum as Green Surfactant Corrosion Inhibitor for 316L Steel in Hydrochloric Acid Solution · 2026 source ↗
- Correction: The candidate gene SibHLHA regulates anthocyanin-driven purple pigmentation in Sesamum indicum flowers. · 2026 source ↗
- Coordination of lignin and pectin remodeling by a NAC transcription factor regulates seed abscission in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). · 2026 source ↗
Scientific compounds
Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.
- ACETYL-PYRAZINE
- 2-ACETYL-PYRROLE
- AGMATINE
- ALANINE
- ASARININ
- ASH
- ASPARTIC-ACID
- BIOTIN
- CAFFEIC-ACID
- CARBOHYDRATE
- CEPHALIN
- CHLOROGENIC-ACID
- CHROMIUM
- CITRULLIN
- COPPER
- P-COUMARIC-ACID
show 173 more documented entries
- EPIASARININ
- FERULIC-ACID
- FOLACIN
- FURFURYL-ALCOHOL
- ALPHA-GLOBULIN
- GUAIACOL
- HISTIDINE
- KILOCALORIES
- LEUCINE
- LYCHNOSE
- LYSINE
- MAGNESIUM
- 2-METHOXY-4-ETHYLPHENOL
- P-METHOXY-PHENOL
- 2-METHOXY-4-VINYL-PHENOL
- OLEIC-ACID
- PANTOTHENIC-ACID
- PEDALIIN
- PHYTOSTEROLS
- PROTOCATECHUIC-ACID
- RIBOFLAVIN
- SESAMOSE
- SODIUM
- SUCROSE
- THIAMIN
- ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL
- TRYPTOPHAN
- GALACTOSE
- LINOLEIC-ACID
- WATER
- O-COUMARIC-ACID
- CYSTINE
- GADOLEIC-ACID
- PROLINE
- SESAMIN
- SESAMOLIN
- PABA
- STEROLS
- 2-ACETYL-3-METHYL-FURAN
- ARACHIDIC-ACID
- BORON
- CALCIUM
- BETA-CAROTENE
- CHOLINE
- FAT
- ALPHA-FORMYL-PYRROLE
- GLUTAMIC-ACID
- IODINE
- ISOLEUCINE
- ALPHA-LINOLENIC-ACID
- M-METHOXYPHENOL
- NIACIN
- PALMITIC-ACID
- PUTRESCINE
- TOCOPHEROLS
- VALINE
- PHOSPHOLIPIDS
- PYRIDOXINE
- NICKEL
- COBALT
- FIBER
- PROTEIN
- ARGININE
- HEXADECENOIC-ACID
- PHENYLALANINE
- ZINC
- PHOSPHORUS
- STEARIC-ACID
- INOSITOL
- GLUCOSE
- GLYCINE
- IRON
- LECITHIN
- LIGNOCERIC-ACID
- N-CARBAMYLPUTRESCINE
- MANGANESE
- METHIONINE
- MYRISTIC-ACID
- PALMITOLEIC-ACID
- PHENOL
- PLANTEOSE
- POTASSIUM
- RAFFINOSE
- SERINE
- SESAMINOL
- SESAMOL
- SESANOL
- STARCH
- THREONINE
- TYROSINE
- 2-ACETYL-FURAN
- 2-HEPTANAL
- ALPHA-AMYRIN
- CAMPESTEROL
- CYCLOARTENOL
- DELTA-AVENASTEROL
- FOLIC-ACID
- GENTISIC-ACID
- HEPTANAL
- HEXANAL
- HEXENAL
- L-CITRULLINE
- NONANAL
- OCTANAL
- PENTANAL
- PHYTATE
- SALICYLATES
- SAPONINS
- STIGMASTEROL
- 24-METHYLENE-CYCLOARTENOL
- 5-METHYLFURAN
- (+)-SESAMIN
- BETA-SITOSTEROL
- 2-(4-METHYL-PENT-3-ENYL)-ANTHRAQUINONE
- 2-(4-METHYL-PENTA-1,3-DIENYL)-ANTHRAQUINONE
- 2-ISOPROPENYL-NAPHTHAZARIN-2,3-EPOXIDE
- 24-METHYLENE-CYCLOARTANOL
- ARACHIDONIC-ACID
- BEHENIC-ACID
- BETA-AMYRIN
- BETA-TOCOPHEROL
- CAMPNEOSIDE-I
- CAMPNEOSIDE-II
- CHOLESTEROL
- CISTANOSIDE-F
- CITROSTADIENOL
- CYCLOEUCALENOL
- DECAFFEOYL-VERBASCOSIDE
- DELTA-TOCOPHEROL
- DIACETYL
- EPISESAMIN
- EPISESAMINOL
- ESCULENTIC-ACID
- FATTY-ACIDS
- GAMMA-TOCOPHEROL
- GLYOXAL
- GRAMISTEROL
- LINOLENIC-ACID
- METHYL-GLYOXAL
- NEPETIN
- OBTUSIFOLIOL
- OXALIC-ACID
- PEDALIN
- PINORESINOL
- PINORESINOL-4'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL(1,2)-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- PINORESINOL-4'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL(1,6)-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- PINORESINOL-GLYCOSIDE
- SESAMINOL-2'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- SESAMINOL-2'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL(1,2)-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- SESAMINOL-2'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL(1,2)-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL(1,6)-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- SESAMINOL-DIGLUCOSIDE
- SESAMOLINOL
- SIMPLEXOSIDE-AGLYCONE
- SQUALENE
- STIGMAST-7-EN-3-BETA-OL
- TANNIC-ACID
- TRANS-FERULIC-ACID
- VANILLIC-ACID
- VERBASCOSIDE
- (+)-ASARININ
- AVENASTEROL
- 5-DEHYDRO-AVENASTEROL
- 7-DEHYDRO-AVENASTEROL
- (+)-KOBUSIN
- (+)-PINORESINOL
- (+)-PINORESINOL-4'-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL(1,2)-O-(BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL(1,6)-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE
- (+)-PIPERITOL
- (+)-EPISESAMIN
- (+)-EPISESAMINONE
- (+)-SESAMOLIN
- (+)-SESAMOLINOL
- 3-BETA-(CIS-P-COUMAROYL-OXY)-2-ALPHA-23-DIHYDROXYURS-12-EN-28-OIC-ACID
- 3-BETA-(TRANS-P-COUMAROYL-OXY)-2-ALPHA-23-DIHYDROXYURS-12-EN-28-OIC-ACID
Legality
No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.
Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.
Reference images
Sources
Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP
World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0
show claim source mapping
- identity · DH-SRC-0030
- documented_uses · DH-SRC-0030
- compounds · DH-SRC-0030
- taxonomy · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- common_names · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- countries · DH-SRC-GBIF · source ↗
- wfo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0003 · source ↗
- cultural_records · DH-SRC-0030 · source ↗
- powo_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0001 · source ↗
- wcvp_taxonomy · DH-SRC-0002 · source ↗
CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive
Contributions and revisions
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