Effects of dietary sesaminol and sesamin on eicosanoid production and immunoglobulin level in rats given ethanol

The effects of sesaminol and sesamin on the ethanol-induced modulation of immune indices related to food allergy were examined in rats given a low (10%)-casein diet. Chronic ethanol drinking, at the dietary level of 23% (w/w), significantly increased the plasma IgA and IgM concentrations, irrespective of the presence of 0.1% and 0.2% sesaminol, but the effects disappeared with 0.2% sesamin. A significant IgG-elevating effect of these lignans was also found. In contrast, the concentration of plasma IgE was not influenced by the dietary manipulation. Although ethanol drinking did not influence splenic leukotriene B₄ production, sesaminol tended to decrease it dose dependently, while sesamin increased the plasma prostaglandin E₂ concentration. These results suggest that sesaminol and sesamin seems to have a diverse effect on the plasma levels of immunoglobulins and eicosanoids.