Methods for enrichment of γ-aminobutyric acid in sesame seeds

Abstract

We sought a method to increase γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in sesame seeds. When water was added to the seeds and they were heated at 60°C for 15 min, the GABA content increased over 8-fold compared to the starting seeds. The amount of water added to the seeds affected the production of GABA, with the addition of more water leading to production of more GABA. GABA production occurred during the first 10 min of treatment at 60°C. Moreover, the addition of l-glutamate resulted in further GABA enrichment. The results indicate that our method using a short-duration heat treatment can form GABA-rich products from sesame seeds.