Evaluation of wild sunflower (Helianthus) species for high content and stability of linoleic acid in the seed oil

Abstract

SUMMARYA collection of 168 accessions belonging to 62 species and subspecies was evaluated in Cordoba, Spain, in 1985 for fatty acid composition of the seed oil. Linoleic acid content of seed produced in Cordoba (mean temperature during seed formation 27·9 °C) was compared with that of seed obtained under much cooler environmental conditions in Montpellier, France, (mean temperature 19·5 °C). Linoleic acid content ranged from 27·3 to 83·7% in the warm environment and from 45·9 to 88·7% in the cool environment with average values of 64·3% and 75·0%, respectively. Twenty-three species with linoleic acid values of > 70% in both environments were evaluated again, in 1989 in Cordoba (mean temperature 31 °C). Twelve wild species showed consistently high and more stable linoleic acid contents than the cultivated control and could be readily used in breeding programmes to improve oil quality.