COMPARATIVE PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS, FATTY ACID COMPOSITION, AND BIOACTIVE PROPERTIES OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.) OILS FROM THREE VIETNAMESE VARIETIES

Abstract

This study comprehensively evaluated the properties of sesame oils from three varieties commonly found in Vietnam: black sesame oil (BSO), white sesame oil (WSO), and yellow sesame oil (YSO). We investigated physical characteristics such as color (L* values ranging from 38.46 to 45.97), viscosity (39.00 to 44.60 cP), and density (0.873 to 0.889 g/mL). Key chemical indices were also determined; acid value (AV) showed significant differences among samples (2.06 to 11.59 mg KOH/g), while peroxide value (PV) remained relatively stable (3.33-5.33 meq/kg). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of fatty acid composition identified variations in linoleic acid (34.93% - 42.76%) and oleic acid (43.91% - 51.30%) content. Principal component analysis (PCA) further highlighted distinct clustering among the oil samples. Regarding bioactivity, YSO and BSO exhibited significantly higher antioxidant capacity than WSO using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. However, all three sesame oils did not show antibacterial activity against Salmonella enteritidis and Bacillus cereus in in vitro assays. The results provide insight into the diverse properties of Vietnamese sesame oils, from their physical characteristics to chemical composition and bioactivity, serving as a basis for selecting appropriate applications for each type.