Oil
crops are well distinguished for supplying protein and energy in human diet
(Mehran et al. 2011). Sunflower (Helianthus
annuus) is a significant crop possessing 15-21% protein and 50% oil content
(Ayeen 1996). It holds second position in the world in edible oil manufacturing
following soyabean oil (Nandha et al. 2014) and grouped among preeminent plant
oils for human diet due to its nutritional worth (Skoric et al. 2008). Its
seeds provide considerable amount of
vitamins, minerals and tocopherols (Skoric 2009) and found to be rich in
minerals like magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, zinc, sodium, potassium,
phosphorus, selenium and manganese (Nandha et al. 2014). Regular sunflower oil
contains 69% linoleic acid, 20% oleic acid and 11% saturated fatty acids, but a
number of strategies have been adopted to present advance range of sunflower
oils with elevated oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid and low
saturated acid.
http://www.emergentresearch.org/vol-1-issue-1-june-2015