Sunflower Oil: Efficient Oil Source for Human Consumption

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.