The Sesame Seed Oil Constituent, Sesamol, Induces Growth Arrest and Apoptosis of Cancer and Cardiovascular Cells

Sesamol is a potent inhibitor of fungal fatty acid biosynthesis. This effect is apparently due to inhibition of malic enzyme and the supply of NADPH that is required for this biosynthetic pathway. It is the ability of sesamol to reduce the synthesis of the coenzyme, NADPH, that makes it attractive for use in studying the effect of oxidants on tumor and vascular endothelial cells. By conducting preliminary studies on the effect of sesamol alone, it was clear that the compound demonstrated marked cytotoxicity. This paper describes the experiments performed.