A combined methodology to detect γ-irradiated white sesame seeds and evaluate the effects on fat content, physicochemical properties and protein allergenicity

• Published in: Food chemistry 2012-03, Vol.131 (2), p.713-721
• Main Authors: Zoumpoulakis, Panagiotis, Sinanoglou, Vassilia J., Batrinou, Anthimia, Strati, Irini F., Miniadis-Meimaroglou, Sofia, Sflomos, Konstantinos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: allergenicity; Biological and medical sciences; color; Colour; fatty acid composition; Food engineering; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gamma radiation; General aspects; irradiation; lipid content; Lipids; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; phospholipids; physicochemical properties; polyunsaturated fatty acids; Radiolytic products; saturated fatty acids; seed storage proteins; seeds; Sesame allergens; sesame oil; sesame seed; Sesamum indicum; triacylglycerols; White sesame; γ-Irradiation
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.09.049

► Irradiation up to 2.5kGy retained nutritional benefits of sesame seed lipids. ► MUFA, PUFA and UFA/SFA ratio were decreased after 5.0kGy. ► 2D DOSY technique could be applied as a qualitative detection tool for low-dose irradiated samples. ► Sesame allergenicity was not significantly affected by irradiation up to 10.0kGy. White sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum L.) were studied with the purpose to evaluate γ-irradiation effect at 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0kGy on lipid and fatty acid content, colour and protein allergenicity and to identify whether sesame oil was extracted from irradiated seeds by using High Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (HR-NMR). The fat decreased significantly, whereas triglyceride and phospholipid content was significantly decreased by the increase of irradiation dose. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio decreased. The presence of radiolytic decomposition products, shown by NMR, formed after a 2.5kGy dose, confirmed that the lipid content decrease was a result of the irradiation process. The allergenicity of storage seed proteins was not significantly affected by irradiation up to 10.0kGy. Colour parameter a* increased after 5.0kGy, while L* values decreased significantly after 2.5kGy. Conclusively, irradiation could be applied at doses