Abstract

It is proposed that sesame products affect oxidative stress, although the findings were inconsistent. This study aimed to summarize the effect of sesame seed and its fractions on oxidative stress parameters in human adults using systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched up to April 2018 to identify relevant controlled clinical trials. Random effects model was used for calculating the overall effects. Fifteen clinical trials were eligible. Meta-analyses revealed that sesame consumption significantly increases enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase) and non-enzymatic (vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and glutathione) antioxidants (P < .05). However, no significant effect was observed on malondialdehyde (MDA) (Hedges' g = -0.80, 95 confidence interval (CI): -1.70, 0.09; P = .078), total antioxidant capacity (WMD = 0.16, 95 CI: -0.19, 0.51; P = .365) and alpha-tocopherol (WMD = -0.33, 95 CI: -1.11, 0.45; P = .409) levels. It was shown that MDA levels significantly decreases only when sesame seeds were used for supplementation (Hedges' g = -0.74, 95 CI: -1.11, -0.36, P < .001). Sesame consumption is associated with improved oxidative status. High quality randomized controlled clinical trials from diverse regions are still needed.