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Sunflower Oil Functional Properties For Specialty Food: Mini Review
Sunflower Oil Functional Properties For Specialty Food: Mini Review
dietary bioactive compounds. A balanced PUFA composition the past 20 years, breeders have made significant progress in
influences diverse aspects of immunity and metabolism. creating sunflowers hybrid with different compositions of fatty
Moreover, interactions between PUFAs and components of acid especially the unsaturated ones: oleic (C 18:1, 16-19%) and
the gut microbiota may also influence their biological roles. linoleic (C 18:2, 68-72% LA) ones. Other oils: Palmitic (C 16:0,
Phytochemicals (bioactive non-nutrient plant compounds), 6%) and stearic (C 18:0, 5%) and minor amounts of myristic
have raised interest in human nutrition because of their (C 14:0), myristoleic (C 14:1), palmitoleic (C 16:1), arachidic (C
potential effects as antioxidants, anti-estrogenics, anti- 20:0), behenic (C 22:0). Using DMS (dimethyl sulfate), the most
inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anti-carcinogenic. important mutation induced is the high oleic acid (80-90%)
Gut microbiota can, for example, transform and influence the with implemented oxidation stability. The existence of mutant
bioavailability and the effects of polyphenols. Phytochemicals genes for increased levels of individual fatty acids and genes for
and metabolic products may also inhibit pathogenic bacteria different tocopherols suggest a rapid development of sunflower
and stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria, exerting hybrids with appreciated oil quality. While sunflower breeders
prebiotic-like effects. Interactions between functional food work on developing hybrid lines with different oil composition,
components, such as prebiotics, probiotics, phytochemicals, medical scientists and nutritionists are searching to establish
and intestinal microbiota, have consequences on human a functional correlation between oil composition and human
health [2]. The legislation concerning the ingredients allows health. The natural sunflower oil varieties contain a very high
some changes from one country to another in terms of dosage, percentage of saturated fatty acids and minor quantities of
origin and source of raw materials, treatments or processes to unsaturated ones, some of these are essentials because the
which they may or may not be subjected, The United Nations human organism has not the enzymes for their synthesis.
Organizations FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius, the Council of The first essential polyunsaturated fatty acid is the linoleic
Europe and the national regulatory bodies are setting out codes acid belonging to the n-6 family (LA 18-2 n-6) up to 75%)
of conduct for manufacturers to put on the packaging only and isomers, the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with the same
claims with scientifically proven healthy benefits. European chemical composition but different spatial configuration of
labeling legislation prohibits the attribution to any food of the atoms [4-6] (Figure 1-2).
property of preventing, treating a human illness or referring
to such properties. In the absence of a clear directive on this
subject, the Member States of the European Union have applied
various interpretations of the existing labeling legislation.
For instance, the use of fatty acids is also allowed by many
EU members but, while in Belgium their use must always be
followed by a notification in regard, Denmark and Finland
permit their use only if naturally occurring and in France
they can be added only to dietetic foods. European community
legislation must however overcome these inconsistencies [3].
The commercial interest of these functional foods is they have
reached the grocery shelf. The demand for functional foods in
Europe is steadily growing: according with the Food Safety
Authority (EFSA), the high content of linoleic acid, essential
fatty acids and vitamin E contained in sunflower oil makes this
oil an ideal food for a healthy diet. The consumers informed Figure 1:
about the healthy benefits are starting to prefer the sunflower
oil to satisfy multiple needs: frying, dressing, functional. Over
Figure 2: The CLA chain with bouble bonds in position 1, 9 and 12.
How to cite this article: Rosa Franco, Luca Iseppi, Mario Taverna. Sunflower Oil Functional Properties for Specialty Food. Nutri Food Sci Int J. 2018; 5(4):
002
555668. DOI: 10.19080/NFSIJ.2018.05.555668.
Nutrition & Food Science International Journal
Clinical studies suggest the main function of CLA is and "fluidizing blood", which makes them a real help for the
antithrombotic and immune-modulating and contribute to prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. However,
the formation of lean mass of muscles. The second essential due to the limited capacity to synthesize EPA and DHA from
polyunsaturated fatty acid is the-linolenic acid the omega alpha linolenic acid, the healthy benefits deriving from
3 precursor, belonging to the n-3 family (ALA 18:3 n-3). The sunflower oil are much lower in content than those obtained
human organism synthesizes albeit with a modest efficacy with consumption fish oil or others rich supplements in EPA
the ALA, the precursor of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and and DHA. Here following is reported the scheme of the DHA
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), important especially for their and DPA formation from their precursors La and ALNA (Figure
functions anti-inflammatory, hypo-triglyceride, hypotensive 3).
Polyunsaturated fatty acids can easily spoil, and then these seed oil is 42%, followed by oil of various seeds, corn, peanut
types of oils should be stored in a refrigerator in waterproof and soybean. Today, in Western diets, the combination of
containers, built with dark material to avoid the oxidation unsaturated fatty acids -6/-3 is on the ranges ≈20-30:1
effect of the light, frequently treated with hydrogenation while the recommended optimal ratio is 10:1 from clinical
to reduce the double bonds. The sunflower oil composition research evidence. The unbalanced relationship -6 and -3
varies according with the cultivar, environmental conditions, raises some medical concerns for people with obesity or high
harvesting and processing. The fatty acid composition of LDA cholesterol. The sunflower oil consumption in excess,
sunflower seed oil varies on climate: cooler climates favor without intentionally increasing the intake of omega-3, can
higher amounts of the n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) cause an imbalance of unsaturated fatty acids that could induce
linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid, EFA); warmer climates, healthy problems. The medical guidelines recommend a range
favor the MUFA oleic acid accumulation. The fatty acids have from 450mg/day recommended by the UK Food Standards
different properties and different health effects, and then it is Agency, to 500mg/day recommended by the International
needed to achieve a greater stabilization of the organoleptic Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL), to
composition for longer conservation. In recent time, the 650mg/day of combined EPA and DHA recommended by
sunflower oil, perceived as inferior quality compared to expert groups from Australia, who indicate that DHA should
olive oil, has livened up with the introduction of the high- represent a minimum of 220mg. This means that DPA should
oleic varieties and improvement of the PUFA oil composition; be 4.5-6gr/day. Epidemiological studies indicate that higher
It is currently estimated that the market share of sunflower amount of fatty acids -6 could cause a pro-thrombotic and
How to cite this article: Rosa Franco, Luca Iseppi, Mario Taverna. Sunflower Oil Functional Properties for Specialty Food. Nutri Food Sci Int J. 2018; 5(4):
003
555668. DOI: 10.19080/NFSIJ.2018.05.555668.
Nutrition & Food Science International Journal
pro-aggregate physiological state in some subjects, due to market segments. To afford this problem we have examined
increased blood viscosity, vasospasm, and vasoconstriction the main functional ingredients of the sunflower oil: fatty
with decreases the bleeding time. -3 has anti-inflammatory, acid and vitamins and we have examined the possibility to
antithrombotic, anti-arrhythmic, and hypoglycemic and achieve optimal combination targets: natural combination
vasodilating properties, secondary prevention of coronary (the best in longer time) or the enrichment (the most feasible in
artery disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and in some shorter time). Options to increase MUFA and PUFA in optimal
patients with renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative combination are a natural growth with a genetic program that
colitis, Crohn's disease, and chronic obstructive broncho- will require some years to be completed. This is the best option
pneumopathy. according with the definition of functional food that describes
the systemic and synergic action of the all ingredients present
Vitamins and Tocopherols in the oil composition to achieve the healthy benefit. A
The sunflower oil contains also significant amount of temporary option is the blending different types of vegetable
liposoluble vitamin E that is part of chemical compounds called oils to improve their nutritional profile, by increasing the
tocopherols. There are several types of tocopherols in nature, omega-3 fatty acids, the most deficient fatty acid in sunflower
the alpha-tocopherol is the most powerful form of vitamin E oil in Western diets.
and has a high biological and nutritional value. The oxidation
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How to cite this article: Rosa Franco, Luca Iseppi, Mario Taverna. Sunflower Oil Functional Properties for Specialty Food. Nutri Food Sci Int J. 2018; 5(4):
004
555668. DOI: 10.19080/NFSIJ.2018.05.555668.