The n-3 family fatty acids containing α -linolenic acid(18:3, ALA) have been known as physiological activation materials such as inhibitory effects on the incidence of hyper-tension, coronary heart disease and cancers as well as the control of senilc dementia. Although a lot of ALA(about 63~% ) are contained in perilla oil, it has not been commercialized yet because the purification technique of the ALA has not been well established. The procedure of purification of ALA from perilla oil was saponified with 1 N-KOH /ethanol and then saturated and low level unsaturated fatty acids were removed by low-temperature crystallization method. The concentrated unsaturated fatty acids (containing about 75~% ALA) went down through the silver nitrate-impregnated silica column chromatography for separation of high purity of ALA. The results obtained we Fraction B, C and D contained ALA more than 85.5~% (recovery, >88.9~%,~;95.4~% (recovery, >54.4~% ) and 99.9~% (recovery, >31.5~% ) in purity, respectively. Seed oil content of the tested varieties were ranged from 34.8 to 54.1~% with 45.3~% of varietal means. The major omega fatty acids contained in the oil were oleic acid(n-9) 15.2~% , linoleic acid(n-6) 13.9~% and linolenic acid(n-3) 63.1~% in the mean value. Varietal variation of n-9, 6 and 3 fatty acids ranged of 9.5~~21.4~%,~;9.1~~20.4~% and 50.6~~70.5~% respectively. Unsaturated fatty acid were averaged 92.2~% of seed oil in fatty acid composition. The ratios of n-6 to n-3 ranged of 0.13~~0.34~% (0.22~% in mean value). The highest n-3 fatty acid variety was Yecheonjong being 70.5~% . The lowest variety in ratios of n-6 to n-3 was Goseongjong being 0.13~% . Oil content showed positive correlation with stearic acid and linolenic acid, while the negative correlation with oil content and linoleic acid. On the other hand, A significant negative correlation were showed between linolnic acid and the ratios n-6/n-3 fatty acid, saturated fatty acid. Saturated fatty acid was highly correlated with unsaturated fatty acid negatively being r= -0.723** .

Antioxidants of sesame have been reported to cure and prevent various diseases by means of diverse physiological activities, prevention of acidification in organisms, prevention of acidification and decay of lipids, cholesterol depression, preventive effects on chemical breast cancer, skin beauty and senescence inhibition, and so on. Recognizing their significance to health and disease prevention, researchers in Japan and America have given so much importance to study antioxidants in the last decade. In addition, they are actively pursuing studies on production, processing for food use and development of new varieties that have high antioxidant content. Recently, researchers in Korea have shown the same interest and have conducted similar studies, however, the importance of the following basic issues must be recognized to guide in future activites : First, improvement of sesame quality must be done to raise the contents of not only the fat and fatty acid but also sesamin, sesamolin and sesaminol glucoside. For the use of these components it is necessary to study the gentic pattern and individual selections developed from minimum sample size and fast lipid analysis techniques. Second, sesaminol of sesame has a remarkable function in preventing acidification and so sesame can be utilized as a food that prevents or delays aging caused by automatic acidification of fat. Therefore, for maximum medicinal benefit from sesame oil there is a need to develop food materials having new medicinal functions. Third, the sesamin and sesamolin content of sesame germplasms collected in Korea showed lower ranges of 0.04~~0.68 percent and 0.08~~0.68 percent respectively, while Japanese germ-plasm showed 1.9 percent maximum content of seasmin. Thus, germplasm collection and analysis of worldwide genetic resources are urgently needed.