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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Dynamics of phytosterols content and concentration in sunflower grains

Raúl González Belo A B , Leonardo Velasco C , Susana M. Nolasco D E and Natalia G. Izquierdo A B F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.

B Laboratorio de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, UNMdP. Balcarce, Argentina. C.C. 276, 7620 Balcarce, Argentina.

C Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS−CSIC), Alameda del Obispo s/n, Córdoba, Spain.

D TECSE−Facultad de Ingeniería, UNCPBA, Av. Del Valle 5737, (7400), Olavarría, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

E CIC, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

F Corresponding author. Email: izquierdo.natalia@inta.gob.ar

Crop and Pasture Science 69(7) 724-732 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP17438
Submitted: 29 November 2017  Accepted: 9 May 2018   Published: 13 June 2018

Abstract

Phytosterols are allies in the control of plasma cholesterol and in preventing cardiovascular diseases. As vegetable oils are the main source of phytosterols, characterising environmental factors that determine phytosterols accumulation in the oil is an important objective. The present research focuses on evaluating how intercepted solar radiation (ISR, the main environmental factor affecting oil accumulation) can determine phytosterol accumulation in sunflower oil. The aim of this work was to study the dynamics of phytosterols accumulation under different ISR levels and its relationships with the dynamics of oil accumulation. Two field experiments were conducted with hybrids with different fatty acid composition. Treatments applied during grain filling were: two levels of defoliation (75% and 80%) and a control. A 50% grain thinning treatment was also applied. Oil phytosterols concentration increased with defoliation during grain-filling period, whereas phytosterols content per grain decreased. β-sitosterol and campesterol were the most affected sterols. Reduction in ISR did not affect the rates of phytosterols accumulation. The durations of the accumulation period of these components varied in accordance with the duration of oil accumulation period. These results reinforce the importance of environmental factor in determining oil quality in sunflower grains.

Additional keywords: fatty acid composition, Helianthus annuus, intercepted solar radiation, oil quality, oil per grain, phytosterols composition.


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