Basic Information - Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Crop Plants - page 9

The primary use of sunflower oil is as a salad and cooking oil, and as a
major ingredient in some margarine and shortening products. Sunflower
oil can be used in the manufacture of lacquers, copolymers, polyester films,
modified resins, and plasticizers when there is a price advantage to the
manufacturer. The high concentration of linoleic acid and very low
concentration of linolenic acid means that despite the moderate iodine
number of 125-140, it has good drying qualities without the yellowing
associated with high-linolenic acid oils (Dorrell and Vick 1997). It can also
be used in the manufacture of soap and detergents (Suslov 1968). Emulsifiers
and surfactants from fats and oils are also used in formulating pesticides
(Pryde and Rothfus 1989).
Traditional sunflower oil is composed of triacylglycerols that exist in the
liquid form at room temperature and have a low melting point. The oil is
composed primarily of saturated C16:0 palmitic (70 g/kg) and C18:0 stearic
(40 g/kg), monounsaturated C18:1 oleic (200 g/kg) and polyunsaturated C18:2
linoleic (690 g/kg) fatty acids, with oleic and linoleic accounting for about 89%
of the total. Sunflower oil has traditionally been considered as a polyunsaturated
oil because of its relatively high linoleic acid concentration of 680-720 g/kg.
The highly polyunsaturated nature of sunflower oil makes it an attractive
product for health-conscious consumers who desire a diet that maximizes the
polyunsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio, which is considered beneficial in
reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (Mensink et al. 1994; Willett 1994).
Traditional sunflower oil (high linoleic acid) is not commonly used for
industrial purposes because of its generally higher value, compared to other
oilseeds. However, it is used to some extent in paints, varnishes, and plastics
because of its good semidrying properties. Along with other vegetable oils,
it is has potential value for the production of adhesives, agrochemicals,
particularly hydrophobic pesticides, surfactants, additional plastics and
plastic additives, fabric softeners, synthetic lubricants, and coatings. Actual
use will depend to a large extent on its price relative to that of petroleum-
based chemicals.
In the United States, sunflower breeders have developed a mid-oleic
(550-700 g/kg) sunflower oil called NuSun ® (National Sunflower
Association, Bismarck, North Dakota, USA), which possesses a significant
advantage over several other popular oils, such as soybean and canola.
NuSun ® does not have to be hydrogenated prior to its use as frying oil, and
therefore has negligible trans fatty acids (Kleingartner 2002; Vick and Miller
2002). This oil offers desirable frying and flavor characteristics, increases
the lifespan of the heated oil, and confers a healthful fatty acid composition
containing an adequate level of “heart healthy” polyunsaturated fatty acids,
yet is free of hydrogenated trans fatty acids. Furthermore, the increased oleic
acid content has the added benefit of slightly lowering saturated palmitic
and stearic fatty acid concentrations to 90 g/kg.