ARS | Publication request: Evaluation of achene oil of Helianthus porteri for fatty acid composition

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 25, 2009
Publication Date: May 30, 2009
Citation: Seiler, G.J. 2009. Evaluation of Achene Oil of Helianthus porteri for Fatty Acid Composition [abstract]. 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for Economic Botany, May 31-June 4, 2009, Charleston, SC. p. 84.

Technical Abstract: Confederate daisy, or Porter's Golden-Eye, Helianthus porteri (A. Gray) Pruski, formerly known as Viguiera porteri (A. Gray) S.F. Blake, is an annual sunflower that was recently transferred to the genus Helianthus. It occurs in and around granite outcroppings in the Piedmont regions of North and South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. Wild sunflower species offer the potential to improve the quality of sunflower oil, a key issue in sunflower breeding. The objective of the study was to evaluate achene oil of H. porteri for fatty acid composition of four major fatty acids: palmitic (16:0), stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1), and linoleic (18:2). Achenes from eight populations collected in Georgia and North Carolina were analyzed. Fatty acid composition was determined using gas chromatograph on oil extracted from two 10 achene samples for each population converted to methyl esters using an organic catalyzed transesterification method. Oleic acid concentration averaged 65.2 g/kg, which is low compared to normal sunflower oil. This was accompanied by a high linoleic acid concentration. The 814.9 g/kg average linoleic concentration in H. porteri was the highest observed in any wild species, with one population having a concentration of 830 g/kg. The higher linoleic acid concentrations (>700 g/kg) are generally observed at northern latitudes, while lower values are observed at southern latitudes. The concentration of palmitic and stearic acids in H. porteri averaged 55.8 g/kg and 32.1 g/kg, respectively, which is a reduction of 25% compared to commercial sunflower oil. The high linoleic acid concentration in H. porteri of 815 g/kg is the highest concentration reported for a wild sunflower species. Linoleic acid concentration was higher than expected for populations grown in southern latitudes. The lower saturated fatty acid profile has the potential to reduce saturated fatty acids in commercial sunflower oil. Further research will be needed to determine the inheritance of the fatty acid composition.