Sesamum indicum.   黑 芝 麻 Hēi zhī ma  Black sesame seed   Family: Pedaliaceae   
The black and darker coloured sesame seeds are mostly produced in China and southeast Asia. Sesame seeds come in many colours depending on the cultivar harvested. The most traded variety of sesame is off-white coloured. Other common colours are buff, tan, gold, brown, reddish, grey and black.

黑 芝 麻 Hēi zhī ma  Seed
Nature: Neutral   FLAVOR: Sweet, pleasant   CHANNEL: Liver, Kidney      
FUNCTIONS
1. Invigorating the Liver and Kidney.[1,3,4]
2. Moisturising the five viscera.
INDICATIONS
1. It is used as a cure for Liver and Kidney deficiency. Inadequate Liver and Kidney function.[1]
2. Dizziness due to endopathic Wind of deficiency type. Wind Cold dizziness.[1]
3. Migratory arthralgia and paralysis. Numbness and paralysis.[1]
4. Dry stools and difficult defecation. Constipation.[4] Dry skin.[4]
5. Weakness during convalescence.
6. Early greying of hair.[4]
7. Lactation insufficiency.[4]
CONTRAINDICATIONS : Loose stools due to Spleen deficiency.[3]
PREPARATIONS: To be decocted, or made into gruel along with polished round grained rice, or used as an ingredient of boluses, powder for internal use.  It can also be decocted for bathing or pounded for external application.[3] Decoction 3-9 g for each dose. Or, stir-fry for eating.[1]

- Increase lactation- Fry 15 g black sesame seeds, add some salt and eat it.[4]
- Constipation- Soak 1 cup rice for a few hours; drain and crush the rice, boil it with 1 cup black sesame seeds in water to make soup. Drink the soup at meals to correct constipation.[4]
香 油 Xiāng yóu, Mai you   Sesame oil   
Sesame has one of the highest oil contents of any seed. Sesame seed is one of the oldest oilseed crops known, domesticated well over 3000 years ago. It was a major summer crop in the Middle East for thousands of years, as attested to by the discovery of many ancient presses for sesame oil in the region
Family Pedaliaceae
Nature- cool     FLAVOR: Sweet    CHANNEL: Large Intestine
FUNCTIONS
1. Lubricate Intestines and Lungs. Induce bowel movements.[4] Lubricates dryness.[4]
2. Counteract toxic effects.[2,4] Produce muscles.[2,4]
INDICATIONS
1. Constipation with discharge of dry stools.[2,4] Roundworms, abdominal pain due to indigestion, ulcer, tinea, skin eruptions.[2]
2. Lubricant and constituent.[2]
3. Ulcers, cracked skin, scabies and tinea.[4]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency.[2]
PREPARATIONS: Raw or cooked, also for external application.[2]
- Constipation- Add a few drops of sesame oil in cooking to relieve constipation.[4]
- Apply sesame oil externally repeately to the region of rheumatic pain and fatigue, to relieve.[4]
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally
Research
Clinical report: For the treatment of chronic simple rhinitis: Cook sesame oil owever low heat until boiling. Use as nose drops; apply 2 to 3 tops on each side each time, gradually increasing to 5 to 6 drops, 3 times a day. Among 63 cases that were treated, 52 cases showed significant improvement, 3 dases showed progress or improvement, 8 cases showed no effects. Treatment duration ranges from 10 days to 3 months.[4]

Antioxidant activity of extracts of black sesame seed (Sesamum indicum L.) by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction.
Hu Q, Xu J, Chen S, Yang F.
Abstract
Antioxidant activities of extracts derived from sesame seed by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) extraction and by n-hexane were determined using alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-picylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and linoleic acid system methods. The highest extracted yield was given at 35 degrees C, 40 MPa, and a CO(2) flow rate of 2.5 mL min(-1) by an orthogonal experiment. The yields of extracts increased with increasing pressure, and yields at 40 and 30 MPa were higher than that by solvent extraction at 46.50%. Results from the linoleic acid system showed that the antioxidant activity follows the order: extract at 35 degrees C, 20 MPa > BHT > extract at 55 degrees C, 40 MPa > extract at 55 degrees C, 30 MPa > Trolox > solvent extraction > alpha-tocopherol. The SC-CO(2) extracts exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activities comparable to that by n-hexane extraction. The extracts at 30 MPa presented the highest antioxidant activities assessed in the DPPH method. At 20 MPa, the EC(50) increased with temperature, which indicated that the antioxidant activity was decreased in a temperature-dependent manner. The significant differences of antioxidant activities were found between the extracts by SC-CO(2) extraction and n-hexane. However, no significant differences were exhibited among the extracts by SC-CO(2) extraction. The vitamin E concentrations were also significantly higher in SC-CO(2) extracts than in n-hexane extracts, and its concentrations in extracts corresponded with the antioxidant activity of extracts.
PMID: 14969554 DOI: 10.1021/jf034485x  J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Feb 25;52(4):943-7. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Bioactive lignans from sesame (Sesamum indicum L.): evaluation of their antioxidant and antibacterial effects for food applications.
Mahendra Kumar C, Singh SA.
Abstract
Antioxidants protect the body from various disease conditions through their ability to neutralize the effects of free radicals. Synthetic antioxidants are extensively used in processed foods for prevention of oxidation and retention of sensory quality. Consumer awareness and preference has led to a vigorous interest in the search for natural antioxidants. Sesamin and sesamolin, the major lignans present in sesame oil, are known for their antioxidative properties. Roasted sesame oil has a higher concentration of sesamol, the thermally degraded product of sesamolin, which is considered a more potent antioxidant compared to its parent molecule. The isolated lignans and sesamol were tested for their antioxidant, free radical scavenging and antibacterial properties. Sesamol is the best antioxidant and free radical scavenger amongst the molecules studied with IC50 value of 5.44 μg / mL (DPPH radical scavenging activity). Antibacterial assays against food borne pathogens revealed sesamol to be an antimicrobial agent with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mg /mL in the culture. Its activity was synergistic with γ-tocopherol, also present in sesame seeds. Inhibition of browning (60-65 %) in fruit pulps (apple, banana and potato) was observed in presence of 20 μM sesamol.
PMID: 25892793 PMCID: PMC4397349 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-014-1334-6  J Food Sci Technol. 2015 May;52(5):2934-41. doi: 10.1007/s13197-014-1334-6. Epub 2014 Apr 15. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov