Antithrombosis effect of sesame seeds and flour cultured with microorganisms

Abstract

The antithrombosis effect of sesame seeds and flour cultured with various microorganisms was investigated by fluidity testing of human whole blood and inhibition of human platelet aggregation. Extracts in 50% ethanol of sesame seeds contained sesamin and sesamolin but no sesaminol, and extracts of defatted flour showed no activity in these tests. However, extracts of flour cultured with Aspergillus niger (NRIC 1222) as well as flour treated with two types of hydrolysis enzyme showed strong activity in both tests, while flours cultured with Asp. awamori, Asp. oryzae, and Bacillus natto showed weak or no effects. HPLC analysis of these specimens showed that sesame seed and flour contains considerable amounts of sesamin and sesamolin but no free sesaminol, while the products cultured with Asp. niger or treated with enzymes contains significant amounts of sesaminol derived from glucosides. It was also demonstrated in tests using pure samples of sesame lignans that sesaminol exhibited strong activity in both tests, while sesamin and sesamol showed only weak activity in the platelet aggregation test, indicating the necessity of the active phenol group and lignan structure in the development of antithrombosis activity. Citric acid, a by-product of incubation, appears to have a weak additional effect on sesaminol in high concentrations.