A comprehensive review of oil biosynthesis pathways and integrated breeding interventions in sesame for nutritional enhancement

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crop valued for its high oil content and beneficial unsaturated fatty acids. However, low yield, susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses, and capsule shattering during mechanized harvesting limit its productivity. Indigenous landraces, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, offer valuable nutritional and sensory traits despite lower agronomic performance. Integrating conventional breeding with genomics-assisted breeding, mutagenesis, and genome editing provides opportunities to rapidly improve sesame oil quantity, quality, and nutritional value. Key genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and triacylglycerol assembly, including FAD2, SAD, and DGAT, and lignan biosynthesis genes, such as CYP81Q1 and CYP92B14, provide targets for nutritional improvement. QTL mapping, GWAS, marker-assisted selection, and genomic selection facilitate desirable allele identification and deployment, while transcriptomics, lipidomics, and functional genomics support candidate-gene discovery and validation. An integrated multi-omics and genome-editing strategy combined with multi-environment evaluation can accelerate the development of high-yielding, nutritious, high-quality, climate-resilient sesame cultivars.