Oil and Meal Quality of Ethiopian Sesame Varieties and their Implications for Quality Improvement

Reports on the physicochemical compositions and fatty acids of Ethiopian sesame genotypes and their implications on oil yield and quality improvement are limited. Proximate and mineral compositions and fatty acids of commercial sesame cultivars and their associations were examined using standard procedures like petroleum ether Soxhlet extraction and Gas chromatography-Mass spectroscopy analysis. Cultivars had immense proximate compositions, minerals, and fatty acids. The crude oil (44-56),carbohydrate (3.6-17.2), protein (19.3-27.1), crude fiber (4.6-7.7), and ash (5.8-7.4) proportion in percentage were variable in examined sesame seeds. Ca (188.2-666.6), Zn (5.9-8.6) and Mg (134.3-165.6) content (mg/100g) also varied. Oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2), palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0), in that order, were the principal fatty acids identified. Crude oil was positively correlated with a linoleic acid.In all, best cultivars with more desirable constituent(s) can be used for intended purposes like industrial input and sesame oil yield and quality improvement programs.