Development and utilization of sunflower genotypes with altered oil quality

Abstract

Sunflower oil is among the highest quality oils of plant origin. The oil of standard sunflowers has an average of 10% saturated fatty acids, 20-30% oleic acid and 60-70% linoleic acid. The total content of tocopherols in standard sunflower oil is 700-1000 mg/kg with the predominant being alpha-tocopherol (vitamin-E). Following the trends of the food and non-food industries sunflower breeders have been able to significantly change the fatty acid composition of the oil. The oil of high-oleic hybrids (more than 80% of oleic acid in sunflower oil) has excellent nutritional properties, as well as oxidative stability, and is a suitable raw material for many derivatives of the chemical industry and for the production of high quality biodiesel. In addition to creating high-oleic sunflower hybridis also possible to direct selection towards increasing or decreasing other fatty acids content (linoleic, palmitic and stearic). Achievements in sunflower breeding have allowed changes in the type and content of tocopherols in the oil.

Keywords

• sunflower
• oil quality
• oleic acid