Sesamum indicum (Hindi-Til/Gingli,Marathi-Thil/Til/Tila,Sanskrit-Tila/Asitatila/Snehaphala,Kannada-Yellu/Ellu/Wollelu,Tamil-Carali/Kakutam/Karel,Telugu-Gubbulu/Nuvvulu,Urdu-Till/Kunjad,Malayalam-Karuellu/Chitrallu,Popular-Gingelly/Sesame/Sesamum)Pedaliaceae.Syn-S.orientale.It is an erect, stout, aromatic, annual herb growing upto 2 m tall.Leaves are opposite in lower parts, arranged spirally and 3-lobedin upper parts.Lower leaves are ovate, entire margins or partly toothed.Higher leaves are with narrowly elliptical lobes.Highest leaves narrowly elliptical,entire margins.Flowers are white to violet, throat often yellow and spotted purple.Fruit is an obling-quadrangular capsule,1.5-3 cm long and hairy,nany seeded.It is one of the oldest and most traditional oil seed crops,valued for its high quality seed oil.It is native to Tropical Africa.Within India,it is cultivated throughout the plains upto an altitude of 1200 m.Initially,it forms a large rosette of basal leaves as large as 0.45 m long.Flower heads are red and thistle like with numerous small purple hued,funnel shaped blooms.It has antioxidant, antibacterial,anti inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer,antihyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, gastroprotective,larvicidal, vasorelaxant, laxative, diuretic, emollient, galactagogue,tonic and astringent activities.The ash of the stem is used as a substitute for salt and is considered as a good source of minerals.Root is emollient.Its decoction is used to treat asthma and cold.Seed is diuretic, emollient,tonic and galactagogue.It acts as a tonic for the liver and kidneys.It is ingested to treat premature hair loss and greying,chronic dry constipation,dental caries, osteoporosis,stiff joints,dry cough,etc.It has marked ability to increase milk production in nursing mothers.Externally,it is used to treat haemorrhoid and ulcers.Leaves when mixed with water form a mucilage which is used to treat infant cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery,catarrh bladder troubles.Leaves or leaf sap is used to treat fever,cough and sore eyes and to kill head lice.The sap is used to treat dysentery and gonorrhea.In India and China,the leaves are used to treat cancers.Sesame cake is rich in Ca and P and is an excellent livestock feed and a raw material for several foodstuffs.In Southern Africa, leaves are smoked as a substitute for tobacco.Sesame seeds are used in various food preparations,raw or roasted.Poor grade sesame oils are used in the production of soaps, lubricants and lamp oil.The oil is used to treat cough and earache and as an emmenagogue and abortifacient.
– Mukherjee Bk
