Profiling Anti-Nutritional Factors and Toxic Heavy Metals in Sesame Oil: Comparative Analysis of Four Iranian Varieties
Document Type : Original research
Authors
1 Department of Health & Food Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ardakan University, P.O. Box 184, Ardakan, Iran.
2 yazd,Ardakan, Iran
Abstract
Sesame seeds are a key global food item and a high-quality source of cooking oil, particularly in Asia. This study investigated heavy metal (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury) and anti-nutritional factor (oxalate, phytate) levels in four sesame varieties from Iran (two domestic: Behbahani, Lari; two imported: Pakistani, Sudanese). Oil was extracted by cold pressing, and analyses were conducted using atomic absorption spectroscopy and liquid chromatography. The Behbahani variety had the highest heavy metal and anti-nutritional factor levels, while the Sudanese variety had the lowest. The Pakistani variety had the highest calcium content, and the Sudanese variety had the highest iron, zinc, and magnesium concentrations. These findings highlight the significant varietal differences in sesame oil's chemical composition, which is important for selecting superior genotypes to produce high-quality edible oil.
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