Sesame oil is most popular in continental Asia, especially in East Asia and the South Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, where its widespread use is similar to that of olive oil in the Mediterranean. East Asian cuisines often use roasted sesame oil for seasoning during cooking, or at the table.
Can genetic engineering improve oil content and seed yield in sesame plants?
Genetic engineering techniques have been used to enhance the oil content and seed yield in sesame plants by targeting essential enzymes involved in oil synthesis, including diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), phospholipid diacylglycerol acyltransferases (PDAT), fatty acid desaturases (FAD), and cytochrome b 5 (Muthulakshmi et al., 2021).
What is sesame oil?
1. Introduction Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated oilseed crops, known for its resilient growth in arid conditions and highly valued seeds for their oil and nutritional content.
How has global sesame production changed over the past 60 years?
In the past 60 years, global sesame production has substantially increased, with Asia and Africa being the primary producers. The integration of omics technologies and biotechnological interventions has revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of sesame, enhanced productivity, invigorated stress resilience, and improved seed quality.