Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an oleaginous seed of the family Pedaliaceae, widely used as a seasoning and in bread products. In the chemical industry, its oil is used in the manufacture of margarine, cosmetics, perfumes, and many other products (Abou-Gharbia et al., 2000). It is one of the oldest and most important oleaginous crops in the world, having been cultivated for centuries in Asia and Africa, primarily for its high oil and protein content and its distinctive flavor. According to Abou-Gharbia et al. (2000), the largest global producers of sesame seed are India, China, and Sudan, contributing approximately 60% of world production, almost all of which is used for oil extraction.

Sesame seed is composed of about 55% lipids and 20% protein and also contains vitamins and minerals. Sesame oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, to which is attributed its effectiveness in reducing blood cholesterol levels. It is a very rich in lecithin - a phospholipid that acts as a powerful emulsifier, facilitating the dissolution of fat in an aqueous medium (Lichtenstein and Deckelbaum, 2001). Sesame oil is also widely consumed as a nutritious food, very beneficial to health, as a cooking oil, in pharmaceuticals, in shortening and margarine, as a soap fat and as a synergist for insecticides.

It is known that oils with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids are more susceptible to oxidation, undergoing rapid degradation and polymerization by free radical mechanisms (Guillen and Goicoechea, 2008). However, sesame oil has a peculiar characteristic: the presence of the natural antioxidants sesamol, sesamolin, and gamma-tocopherol, which gives it high oxidative stability.