Semen Sesami Nigrum (Heizhima) — black sesame

Origin
Black sesame is the dried ripe seed of Sesamum indicum L.The plant is collected in autumn when the fruit is ripe, dried in the sun. The drug is gathered, removed from foreign matter, and dried in the sun.
Description and Identification
Flattened-ovoid, about 3mm long, and 2mm wide. Externally black,smooth or reticulately wrinkled. A dotted brown raphe at the apex. Testa thin,cotyledons 2,white,oily. Odour weak; taste sweet, slightly oily,aromatic.
Chemical Ingredients
It mosdy has fattiness oil, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. In addition, it also has pedaliin, protein, lecithin, etc.
Property and Channel Tropism
Property: sweet in taste; neutral in nature.
Channel tropism: liver,kidney,large intestine.
Action and Indications
To tonify the liver and the kidney, to replenish vital essence and blood, and to relax the bowels. Dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, impaired hearing, premature greying of the hair and beard; loss of hair after a serious disease; constipation.
Place of Production
It is produced in Shangdong, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hebei, etc.


It has many kinds of coumarin genre compounds, including psoralen, bergapten, and xanthotoxin. And it also has amy lose, phospholipid, etc.


