Perspectives of Breeding for Altering Sunflower Oil Quality to Obtain Novel Oils

Abstract

Sunflower is one of the four most important oilseed crops grown worldwide and the nutritional quality of its edible oil ranks among the best vegetable oils in cultivation. Sunflower oil has been traditionally appreciated in the world oil market. However, new emerging markets are demanding changes in oil quality for both food and non-food applications. Nutritional and functional properties determining oil quality are primarily determined by the fatty acid composition of oil. Seed oil content and composition are determined by genotypic factors and environmental conditions. The variation for oleic acid content in sunflower oil may be a consequence of location, temperature and rainfall effects. With adequate location and planting dates, high and mid-oleic hybrids could be produced with oil that meets the oil quality standards. Genetic variability of the cultivated sunflower for quality traits may be increased by interspecific hybridization with wild sunflower species. Induced mutations are also being used to alter the fatty acid composition of sunflower oil to a significant extent. The existence of (mutant) genes for increased levels of individual fatty acids and for different forms and levels of tocopherol enables the development of sunflower hybrids with different oil quality. High-oleic hybrids with altered tocopherol levels are being developed by mutagenesis, the oil of which will have 10–20 times greater oxidative stability than that of conventional sunflower oil. Common markers associated with different seed-quality traits would be useful in the marker-assisted selection breeding programme to improve oil quality. The breeding model of sunflower hybrids should include antioxidant and vitamin parameters balanced for oils of different applications.