Chemical composition and fatty acid profile of five sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) varieties from Wolaita area, Ethiopia

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an annual herbaceous plant cultivated as a cash crop, export commodity and raw materials for industries. However, there is lack of information on chemical composition and fatty acid profile of sesame varieties from Wolaita, Ethiopia. In this study, therefore, the proximate and mineral contents and fatty acid profiles of five sesame varieties collected from Wolaita area were analyzed. The results revealed that the crude protein content of the plant ranged from 18.03% (Tate) to 20.51% (Mehado-80). Crude fiber content ranged from 10.71% (Serkamo, S) to 14.38% (Kelafo-74). The variety Kelafo-74 had the highest crude fat content (41.84%) while Tate had the lowest crude fat content (36.42%). The total ash content of the same plant ranged from 6.09% (Mehado-80) to 6.35% (Kelafo-74). The carbohydrate content ranged from 11.62% (Kelafo-74) to 22.66% (Tate). The mean energy value of the studied sesame varieties was 501.37 kcal/100 g. The Fe content was significantly different among the sesame varieties and ranged from 46.26 to 91.74 mg/100g with the highest Fe content in the variety Kelafo-74. The highest Ca content (1388.6 mg/100g) was recorded from variety Mehado-80 whereas the highest total P content (648.84 mg/100g) was recorded from the variety S. Linoleic acid was the predominant fatty acid, ranged from 23.27% (Tate) to 19.38% (S) followed by oleic acid, which was ranged from 20.49 (Tate) to 17.06 % (S). The analyzed sesame varieties could be a good source of protein, fiber, minerals (Fe, Ca and P) with good fatty acid profile.