A fast multi-residue analysis of twenty-four classes of pesticide in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and their migration into processed products.

Sesame is widely used as a nutritional supplement or condiment because of its nutritious properties and palatable flavor. However, the extensive use of pesticides in sesame fields has paradoxically decreased the nutritional vantage. The current study used QuEChERS with a low-temperature freezing method to develop a multi-residue analytical approach to detect target analytes (pesticides) in sesame seed, sesame oil, sesame paste, and sesame meal. The migration ability of target pesticides during oil processing was investigated using HPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS: 35% of pesticides decreased, with processing factors (PFs) lower than 0.98, whereas 65% migrated from the seed to the oil during processing. The migration success of methoxyfenozide was the highest, while clothianidin and pymetrozine demonstrated a significantly lower rate of transfer. The results provide insight into the types of pesticides that should be used in farming practices of sesame to decrease the impact on human health.

Neuroprotective Effects of Sesamum indicum, Sesamin and Sesamolin Against 6-OHDA-induced Apoptosis in PC12 Cells.

BACKGROUND: Sesamum indicum L. (sesame) is one of the most widely used herbs in the world. Sesame oil contains lignans such as sesamin and sesamolin, which are known to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic properties. Parkinson's disease (PD) is recognized as the most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease; however, the exact molecular mechanism of the progression of neural death is not clear yet. In this study, the effect of sesame seed extracts and their main bioactive components (sesamin and sesamolin) on in vitro model of Parkinson's disease has been compared. METHODS: Cell viability, the number of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis were determined using resazurin assay, ROS assay, propidium iodide (PI) staining and flow cytometry, and western blot analysis. RESULTS: 6-OHDA caused cellular death and apoptosis but pretreatment with sesame seed extracts, sesamin, and sesamolin significantly increased cell viability (p<0.001) and decreased ROS (p<0.001) and apoptosis. ERK1/2 is activated by 6-OHDA in PC12 cells, and the level of survivin decreased. Pretreatment with sesame significantly reversed the entire cell death induced by 6- OHDA. Sesame seed extracts at 5 and 10 µg/ml, sesamin and sesamolin at 5 and 10 µM increased surviving (p<0.01), and reduced P-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 (p<0.05) levels close to the control values. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, compounds in sesame seed extract and sesamin may assist as adjuvant therapeutics in PD. It seems sesame seeds have more potent protection effects against neural death compared with individual components, which might reflect the synergism among different phytochemicals present in the extract.

Investigations on color and flavor formed by roasting sesame polysaccharide-protein mixtures.

Roasting is an important operation to produce attractive colors and distinctive flavors during the production of sesame oil. To investigate the contributions of macromolecules to the color and flavor during roasting sesame seeds, water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP) and chelator-soluble polysaccharides (CSP) sequentially extracted from sesame hull were mixed with sesame protein isolate (SPI) at different ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 2:1, w/w), then the mixtures were roasted at 180 °C for 35 min. Results showed that WSP, CSP, and SPI degraded approximately at 150 °C and SPI had the highest thermal stability. According to monosaccharide/amino acid analysis, glucose and galacturonic acid showed the highest reduction rates, as well as lysine and arginine. CSP + SPI mixtures showed greater reactivity than WSP + SPI mixtures, resulting in a darker color and many more Maillard reaction products. The predominant volatiles of roasted WSP/CSP + SPI mixtures were aldehydes and heterocyclic compounds identified by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). This work provides some new information about flavor and color development during roasting sesame seeds.

Influence of different thermal treatment methods on the processing qualities of sesame seeds and cold-pressed oil.

This study investigated the impact of multiple thermal treatments (explosion-puffing, microwave, and roasting) on the processing qualities of sesame seeds and cold-pressed oil. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed fissures and cavities of sesame seed surface upon thermal treatments. The microwave treatment promoted the maximum conversion of sesamolin into sesamol in the sesame oil. Compared with other treatments, explosion-puffing treatment resulted in most significant increases in the multiple beneficial phytochemicals, as well as in vitro antioxidant properties determined by 2,2-dipheny1-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and oxidative stability index (OSI). Additionally, thermal treatment processing caused varying degrees of damage of crude protein, total amino acids (TAA) and protein structure (tertiary and second structure). In which, explosion-puffing achieved minimal reduction in the first two indicators. Collectively, explosion-puffing might be a preferable thermal treatment method for industrial sesame processing with improved quality specifications.

Application of Maillard Reaction Products Derived Only from Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Sesame Meal to Enhance the Flavor and Oxidative Stability of Sesame Oil.

The low-temperature roasting of sesame oil has become increasingly popular because of its nutritional benefits; however, the flavor is reduced. In order to improve the quality of sesame oil without exogenous addition, sesame meal was hydrolyzed and further used to prepare Maillard reaction products (MRPs) while protease hydrolysis (PH) and glucoamylase-protease hydrolysis (GPH) were used, and their respective Maillard products (PHM and GPHM) were added in the oils for reducing sugar and total sugar content determination, free amino acid determination, and color and descriptive sensory analysis, as well as electronic nose, SPME-GC-MS, odor activity value, and oxidative stability analyses. Results showed that the MRPs could be produced using the enzymatically hydrolyzed sesame meal without exogenous addition, and the oil flavor blended with GPHM (GPHM-SO) was significantly (p < 0.05) improved with the best sensory quality. The composition of pyrazines (119.35 µg/mL), furans (13.95 µg/mL), and sulfur substances (6.25 µg/mL) contributed positively to sensory properties in GPHM-SO, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, and 2,3-dimethylpyrazine were characterized as the key flavor compounds with odor activity values of 7.01, 14.80, and 31.38, respectively. Furthermore, the oxidative stability of the oil was significantly improved with the addition of MRPs, and the shelf life of GPHM-SO was predicted to be extended by 1.9 times more than that of the crude oil based on the accelerated oxidation fitting analysis. In general, the MRPs derived only from sesame meal can enhance the flavor and oxidative stability of sesame oil and can be applied in the oil industry.

Authenticity Assessment from Sesame Seeds to Oil and Sesame Products of Various Origin by Differential Scanning Calorimetry.

The aim of this study was to conduct thermal characterization of sesame seeds and oils from various geographical origins (Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Sudan, Turkey), different method of extraction (hexane and cold-pressing), and different types of derived products (halva and tahini). Thermal characterization was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which showed that origin of the seeds has no influence on the melting profile of sesame oil (peak temperature and enthalpy). Method of extraction (hexane and cold-pressing) influenced the peak temperatures of the resulting oils (p ≤ 0.05). The addition of 20% of palm olein to pure sesame oil influenced the significant changes in thermodynamic parameters such as peak temperature (Tm2), which was lowered from −5.89 °C to −4.99 °C, peak half width (T1/2), elevated from 3.01 °C to 4.52 °C, and the percentage of first peak area (% peak 1) lowered from 87.9 to 73.2% (p ≤ 0.05). The PCA method enabled to distinguish authentic and adulterated sesame oils of various origins. There were no significant differences in thermal properties among the products (halva, tahini) and the authentic sesame oil (p > 0.05). The obtained results showed DSC feasibility to characterize sesame oil and sesame products in terms of authenticity.

Significance of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) as a feed resource towards small-ruminant animal production in Southern Africa: a review.

Sesamum indicum (sesame) is a small seed legume, which is of nutritional and medicinal value to livestock. Sesame is a legume with positive attributes that include drought tolerance (owing to its extensive rooting system), low input demand for growth, and reduction of soil nematodes (in crop rotation systems). Attention in research has been shifted towards usage of sesame as human food to exploitation as livestock feed because of its high levels in crude protein (CP), minerals, amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). However, it is underutilized as a livestock feed resource in Southern Africa. In recent years, there has been increasing interest to cultivate the crop in Southern African countries through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) initiatives. The focus of such initiatives has been mainly production without value addition of the seed. At present in Southern Africa, widespread adoption of feeding strategies based on sesame has been restricted mainly due to lack of knowledge on production, marketing and value addition, availability of the seed, and technology adoption. Technology adoption is often limited specifically when oil extraction is considered, where by-products such as the meal are useful in animal production. This paper reviews the potential use of sesame to improve growth rates, feed intake, carcass qualities, meat quality, milk quality, milk yield, and blood metabolite levels of small ruminants. Production potential, economic feasibility, and strategies of using sesame in small-ruminant feeding programs are also outlined.

Mass Spectrometric Identification of Antimicrobial Peptides from Medicinal Seeds.

Traditional medicinal plants contain a variety of bioactive natural products including cysteine-rich (Cys-rich) antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Cys-rich AMPs are often crosslinked by multiple disulfide bonds which increase their resistance to chemical and enzymatic degradation. However, this class of molecules is relatively underexplored. Herein, in silico analysis predicted 80-100 Cys-rich AMPs per species from three edible traditional medicinal plants: Linum usitatissimum (flax), Trifolium pratense (red clover), and Sesamum indicum (sesame). Bottom-up proteomic analysis of seed peptide extracts revealed direct evidence for the translation of 3-10 Cys-rich AMPs per species, including lipid transfer proteins, defensins, α-hairpinins, and snakins. Negative activity revealed by antibacterial screening highlights the importance of employing a multi-pronged approach for AMP discovery. Further, this study demonstrates that flax, red clover, and sesame are promising sources for further AMP discovery and characterization.

Pectic polysaccharides extracted from sesame seed hull: Physicochemical and functional properties.

The objective of the present investigation was to extract pectic polysaccharides from sesame seed hull and to determine their physicochemical and functional characteristics. The pectic polysaccharides in the seed hull were extracted with HCl and then collected at three ethanol concentrations of 30% (SSP30), 50% (SSP50), and 90% (SSP90). We found that SSP30 represented 75.6% of the total polysaccharides, and that it contained 76.39% galacturonic acid, with many HG domains and few short side chains in the RG-I domains. SSP30 exhibited the strongest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity among the three fractions, and was better able to stabilize the emulsions. Higher Mw pectic polysaccharides were firstly precipitated at lower ethanol concentrations, and the Mw of the precipitated pectic polysaccharides decreased with increasing ethanol concentration. These results provide important information on the structure and functional characteristics of sesame hull polysaccharides. This information can contribute to the future development of sesame hull polysaccharides for industrial purposes.

Sesamin Protects against and Ameliorates Rat Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury with Involvement of Activating Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 Signaling Pathway.

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) may induce cell/tissue injuries, leading to multiple organ failure. Based on our preexperiments, we proposed that sesamin could protect against and ameliorate intestinal I/R injuries and related disorders with involvement of activating Nrf2 signaling pathway. This proposal was evaluated using SD intestinal I/R injury rats in vivo and hypoxia/reoxygenation- (H/R-) injured rat small intestinal crypt epithelial cell line (IEC-6 cells) in vitro. Sesamin significantly alleviated I/R-induced intestinal histopathological injuries and significantly reduced serum biochemical indicators ALT and AST, alleviating I/R-induced intestinal injury in rats. Sesamin also significantly reversed I/R-increased TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, and MPO activity in serum and MDA in tissues and I/R-decreased GSH in tissues and SOD in both tissues and IEC-6 cells, indicating its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative stress effects. Further, sesamin significantly decreased TUNEL-positive cells, downregulated the increased Bax and caspase-3 protein expression, upregulated the decreased protein expression of Bcl-2 in I/R-injured intestinal tissues, and significantly reversed H/R-reduced IEC-6 cell viability as well as reduced the number of apoptotic cells among H/R-injured IEC-6 cell, showing antiapoptotic effects. Activation of Nrf2 is known to ameliorate tissue/cell injuries. Consistent with sesamin-induced ameliorations of both intestinal I/R injuries and H/R injuries, transfection of Nrf2 cDNA significantly upregulated the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1, respectively. On the contrary, either Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385) or Nrf2 siRNA transfection significantly decreased the expression of these proteins. Our results suggest that activation of the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway is involved in sesamin-induced anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antiapoptotic effects in protection against and amelioration of intestinal I/R injuries.

Simultaneous Recovery of High Quality Black Sesame Oil and Defatted Meal by a New Aqueous Method: Optimization and Comparison with Other Methods.

A method able to simultaneously obtain oil and defatted meal (rich in proteins) with high quality is preferable to others for processing black sesame seeds, which should also be green, healthy, highly efficient and sustainable. Methods including solvent extraction and hot-pressing currently available for the commercial production of oils are not able to meet all criteria just mentioned above. Therefore, development of new aqueous method of extracting black sesame oil has been promoted. In our study, we developed a new aqueous method using 1.95:10 aqueous salt solution-to-ground black sesame seed ratio which simultaneously recovered 96.54% black sesame oils and defatted meal with only 3.89% residual oils and 50.1% proteins (on dry weight basis). The oil produced had low acid value at 0.43 mgKOH/kg and peroxide value 3.37 mmol/kg and good other quality indexes. We found that proper amount of water added was essential for efficiently recover black sesame oils while other factors including temperature and time of baking raw materials to deactivate lipase activity, pore size of the sieve for ground black sesame seeds to pass through, addition of salt as well as temperature and time of agitating significantly affected the recovery efficiency. As compared with other methods, the new aqueous method had higher oil recovery rate or quality and was more environmentally friendly. No waste water was discharged during separation of oils. The experimental data can be applied to guide the design and manufacture of production line of black sesame oilseeds on a pilot or commercial scale.

Efficacy and safety of Hemoheal cream in patients with hemorrhoids: a randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Hemoheal cream, an anti-hemorrhoid herbal preparation, (inspired by Persian medicine literatures in a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: Hemoheal cream consists of aqueous extract of Allium ampeloprasum L., Commiphora mukul (Hook. Ex Stocks) Engl and the oil of Sesamum indicum L. Fifty-two patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids were randomized to receive hemoheal cream or placebo for 3 weeks. The patients were evaluated before and after the intervention in terms of the severity of anal irritation, bleeding, anal itching, pain, defecation discomfort and swelling sense, and overall subjective improvement (%), as well as any reported adverse events. RESULTS: The results showed that after 3 weeks of treatment, distribution of anal irritation, bleeding, pain as well as swelling sense were significantly different (P < 0.05), while the analysis showed no significant differences between two groups for anal itching and defecation discomfort (P > 0.05). Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between the overall subjective improvement of Hemoheal cream and placebo groups (P = 0.012). One patient in the treatment group complained of rashes on the application site. CONCLUSION: The present study showed a positive effect of Hemoheal cream in improving clinical signs and symptoms in patients with hemorrhoids.

Effects of variety, storage container, and duration on the physical properties, oil content, germination capacity, and seed loss due to Plodia interpunctella infestation of Ethiopian sesame.

BACKGROUND: Owing to fluctuations of international market prices and excess supply during peak harvesting seasons, farmers and traders often suffer from a low market price of sesame. Such a negative impact can be ameliorated by taking advantage of times with a better market price during the off season. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different storage containers on gravimetric properties and germination capacities of five different sesame varieties as well as their impact on Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella). RESULTS: There were differences among the types of storage containers in terms of moisture content, oil content, thousand seed weight, and germination capacity with the storage duration. However, in terms of bulk density, true density, and porosity, the results were consistent. On average, a few losses in thousand seed weight for varieties stored in Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags (1.7%), metal silos (2.4%), and GrainPro bags (3.4%) were observed during 12 months' storage compared with polypropylene bags (17%). The difference among sesame varieties in terms of weight loss and loss of webbing due to P. interpunctella varied with storage duration. On average, about 9.4% weight loss and 5.7% loss due to webbing was measured for seed stored in polypropylene bags due to the natural infestation of P. interpunctella. No pest was found in hermetic containers. CONCLUSION: In general, to fetch better market prices, the use of hermetic storage is more efficient to maintain the desired gravimetric properties and to prevent losses due to P. interpunctella infestation compared with the commonly used woven polypropylene bags. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of "nine steaming nine sun-drying" on proximate composition, oil properties and volatile compounds of black sesame seeds.

Black sesame seeds (BSS) were processed by nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying, and the chemistry of their resulting products studied. That is, the shell color and structure, proximate composition, oil properties and volatile compounds of raw BSS were determined and compared with processed BSS. Various levels of shell color change and structure damage were observed. The proximate composition also differed, whereas the relative proportion of fatty acids and oil properties were unchanged. SPME-GCMS analysis revealed that aldehydes, hydrocarbons and alcohols were the main volatile compounds. And compared with raw BSS, four volatile substances were newly detected in the processed BSS. Principal component analysis (PCA) displayed the overall difference between samples and showed that repeated steaming and sun-drying process had a significant impact on the chemical composition of BSS.

Effects of Sesame Oil Aroma on Mice after Exposure to Water Immersion Stress: Analysis of Behavior and Gene Expression in the Brain.

(1) Background: Sesame has been popular as a healthy food since ancient times, and effects of the aroma component of roasted sesame are also expected. However, little research has been reported on its scent; (2) Methods: Jcl:ICR male mice were housed under water immersion stress for 24 h. Then, the scent of saline or sesame oil was inhaled to stress groups for 90 min. We investigated the effects of sesame oil aroma on the behavior and brains of mice; (3) Results: In an elevated plus maze test, the rate of entering to open arm and the staying time were decreased by the stress. These decrements were significantly enhanced by sesame oil aroma. Stress had a tendency to increase the serum corticosterone concentration, which was slightly decreased by the aroma. Expression of Kruppel-like factor-4 (Klf-4) and Dual-specificity phosphatase-1 (Dusp-1) in the striatum were increased by water immersion stress, and the level of Klf-4 and Dusp-1 in the striatum and hippocampus were significantly attenuated by sesame oil aroma (4) Conclusions: The present results strongly suggest that the odor component of sesame oil may have stress suppressing effects. Moreover, Klf-4 and Dusp-1 may be sensitive stress-responsive biomarkers.

Evaluation of Chemical Properties, Amino Acid Contents and Fatty Acid Compositions of Sesame Seed Provided from Different Locations.

In this study, chemical properties, amino acid contents, fatty acid compositions of sesame seeds dependin on growing locations of sesame plants were evaluated. Protein contents of sesame seeds changed between 20.80% (Afghanistan) and 26.01% (India). Oil contents of seeds were changed between 44.69% (Mozambique) and 55.37% (Niger-Kany). Crude fiber contents of sesame seeds ranged from 17.30% (Ethiopia-Volega) to 28.78% (Mozambique). The highest protein, crude oil and crude fiber were found in India, Niger-Kany and Mozambique sesame seed samples, respectively. In addition, while glutamic acid contends of seeds change between 3.28% (Uganda and Niger-Benje) and 4.57% (India), arginine contents of seeds ranged from 2.36% (Uganda) to 3.10% (India). The total amino acid contents of sesame seeds ranged from 18.12% (Uganda) to 23.51% (India). Palmitic acid contents of sesame oils ranged from 7.93% (Uganda) to 9.55% (Burkina Faso). While oleic acid contents of sesame seed oils are found between 35.88% (Mozambique) and 44.54% (Afghanistan), linoleic acid contents of oils ranged from 37.41% (Afghanistan) to 47.44% (Mozambique). The high amount of protein, oil contents, amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids can be positively considered from the nutritional point of view.

Simultaneous and rapid determination of sesamin and sesamolin in sesame oils using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence coupled with self-weighted alternating trilinear decomposition.

BACKGROUND: Sesamin and sesamolin are two typical and important lignans isolated from sesame oil. Various studies have shown the bioactivity, physiological activity, and potential health benefits of the two components. In this study, a rapid method for the simultaneous determination of sesamin and sesamolin in sesame oils was proposed. The excitation-emission fluorescence spectra of the oils were obtained after a simple pretreatment, then self-weighted alternating trilinear decomposition was used to extract the quantitative information from the very overlapping spectra. RESULTS: It was found that reasonable quantification results could be obtained with the limits of detection for the two lignans. These limits were 0.05 mg/g and 0.24 mg/g, and the limits of quantitation were 0.14 mg/g and 0.74 mg/g, respectively. The average recoveries for sesamin and sesamolin were 99.05% and 94.97%. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that, with simple sample pretreatment, the application for combining excitation-emission fluorescence spectra and self-weighted alternating trilinear decomposition can be a useful and sensitive tool for the determination of lignans in sesame oil. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

In situ nanomechanical properties of natural oil bodies studied using atomic force microscopy.

Natural oil bodies (OBs) from plant organs represent an important category of functional ingredients and materials in a variety of industrial sectors. Their applications are closely related to the membrane mechanical properties on a single droplet level, which remain difficult to determine. In this research, the mechanical properties of the membranes of OBs from soybean, sesame, and peanut were investigated in-situ by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Different regions of the force-deformation curves obtained during compression were analyzed to extract the stiffness Kb or Young's modulus of the OB membranes using Hooke's law, Reissner theory, and the elastic membrane theory. At higher strains (ε = 0.15-0.20), the elastic membrane theory breaks down. We propose an extension of the theory that includes a contribution to the force from interfacial tension based on the Gibbs energy, allowing effective determination of Young's modulus and interfacial tension of the OB membranes in the water environment simultaneously. The mechanical properties of the OBs of different sizes and species, as well as a comparison with other phospholipid membrane materials, are discussed and related to their membrane compositions and structures. It was found that the natural OBs are soft droplets but do not rupture and can fully recover following compressive strains as large as 0.3. The OBs with higher protein/oil ratio, have smaller size and stronger mechanical properties, and thus are more stable. The low interfacial tension due to the existence of phospholipid-protein membrane also contributes to the stability of the OBs. This is the first report measuring the mechanical properties of OB membranes in-situ directly.

Effect of roasting and in vitro digestion on phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of water-soluble extracts from sesame.

The effects of roasting and in vitro digestion on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), phenolic profiles, and antioxidant activity of water-soluble extracts from six varieties of sesame were investigated in this study. Our results showed that the major phenolic compounds in raw, roasted and digested sesame were gallic acid (GA), protocatechuic acid (PA), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4 HBA), ferulic acid (FA) and quercetin (Quer). Roasting significantly increased the TPC, pinoresinol diglucoside (PD), sesamol, as well as the content of phenolic compounds (especially GA, PA, 4 HBA and Quer) in sesame, but kept or reduced the TFC, sesamin and sesamolin. After roasting, the antioxidant potency composite index (ACI) of six varieties of sesame was significantly increased by 29.8%-216.6%. Additionally, the ACI of gastric digestion was significantly higher than that of oral and intestinal digestion during the in vitro digestion of the roasted-sesame, except for the varieties of Ganzhi 9 and Ganzhi 17. This study showed that five phenolic compounds (GA, PA, 4 HBA, p-coumaric acid, Quer) and sesamol of the water-soluble extracts contributed to the antioxidant activities of the digestive products of sesame.

Using Sesame Seed Oil to Preserve and Preconcentrate Cannabinoids for Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry.

Cannabinoids present a unique set of analytical challenges. An increasing number of states have voted to decriminalize recreational marijuana use, creating a need for new kinds of rapid testing. At the same time, synthetic compounds with activity similar to THC, termed synthetic cannabinoids, have become more prevalent and pose significant health risks. A rapid method capable of detecting both natural and synthetic cannabinoids would be useful in cases of driving under the influence of drugs, where it might not be obvious whether the suspect consumed marijuana, a synthetic cannabinoid, or both. Paper spray mass spectrometry is an ambient ionization technique which allows for the direct ionization of analyte from a biofluid spot on a piece of paper. Natural cannabinoids like THC, however, are labile and rapidly disappear from dried sample spots, making it difficult to detect them at clinically relevant levels. Presented here is a method to concentrate and preserve THC and synthetic cannabinoids in urine and oral fluid on paper for analysis by paper spray mass spectrometry. Sesame seed oil was investigated both as a means of preserving THC and as part of a technique, termed paper strip extraction, wherein urine or oral fluid is flowed through an oil spot on a strip of paper to preconcentrate cannabinoids. This technique preserved THC in dried biofluid samples for at least 27 days at room temperature; paper spray MS/MS analysis of these preserved dried spots was capable of detecting THC and synthetic cannabinoids at low ng/mL concentrations, making it suitable as a rapid screening technique. The technique was adapted to be used with a commercially available autosampler.