ABSTRACT
The production of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) worldwide is about 3.3 million metric tons annually and is currently increasing (FAO 2005). The process used by the food industry for dehulling sesame seeds generates huge quantities of seed coat, which is a significant agricultural waste. Indeed, this seed coat or hull, botanically termed the testa, contains a high proportion of crude fiber and phytic and oxalic acids (Toma et al. 1979) and is often removed before human use of the seed for numerous recipes. It is worth noting that the hull exhibits significant antioxidant activity compared to dehulled seed (Chang et al. 2002; Shahidi et al. 2006). Oil produced from whole seed also shows higher antioxidant activity than that from dehulled seed (Abou-Gharbia et al. 1997; Dachtler et al. 2003).
