Rural Development Administration targets overseas markets with new varieties of sesame and perilla oil that are good for brain health

(Jeonju = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Jin-bang = The Rural Development Administration announced on the 16th that it will target overseas markets with domestically produced sesame and perilla oils that are high in lignan, a substance that helps brain health.

The Rural Development Administration developed sesame seeds 'Seulgi' and 'Room', which have three times the lignan content compared to foreign and existing varieties, and perilla 'Jian', which has an increased omega-3 content, and began full-scale distribution and industrialization.

Last year, sesame oil exports increased by 28% compared to the previous year, and exports in the first half of this year reached a record high of $8.43 million.

The new sesame varieties 'Seulgi' and 'Room' developed by the Rural Development Administration have a lignan content of 13 to 14 mg per gram, which is three times higher than that of foreign and regular sesame seeds (4 to 5 mg).

Lignans are a representative antioxidant component of sesame seeds and have been proven to be effective in improving long-term memory, protecting and regenerating nerve cells, and protecting the liver.

In particular, lignans have the property of being soluble in oil, so they dissolve into the fat even during milking and maintain high functionality even after processing.

The new perilla variety 'Jian' contains about 66% of 'alpha-linolenic acid', a vegetable omega-3 fatty acid, which is higher than the existing variety 'Dayu' (63-64%).

Research results from the Rural Development Administration confirmed that alpha-linolenic acid is effective in protecting damaged brain cells and improving learning ability and memory.

To ensure a stable supply of these varieties, the Rural Development Administration has established pilot cultivation complexes in Andong, Gyeongbuk, Jinju, Gyeongnam, and Gochang, Jeollabuk-do this year and is pursuing commercialization of the products.

In addition, in the second half of this year, we plan to introduce premium sesame oil products made from sesame seeds and omega-3 capsule products made from perilla seeds.

Kim Byeong-seok, director of the National Institute of Crop Science, said, "Through the industrialization of new varieties, we have strengthened our differentiation from low-priced foreign products and laid the foundation to increase the value of our traditional oil. We will promote national health, increase farm income, and strengthen the global competitiveness of K-oil through the distribution of new varieties, expansion of production complexes, and industrial cooperation."