A Review on the Medicinal Uses of Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) Oil

ABSTRACT

Sunflower   (Helianthus   annuus  L.)   is   a   genus   of   plants   comprising   about   70 species. It is famous for its unique nature of heliotropism and is the world’s most important source of oil. Around the world, sunflower production is 31.1m tons,with more than 26 ha under sunflower cultivation. Sunflower stalks have been used as fuel, fodder for livestock, food for poultry, and ensilage. Sunflower seeds were and still are eaten raw, roasted, cooked, dried, and ground, and used as a source of oil.  Helianthus  annuus  L. contains  carbohydrate,  flavonoids,  tannins,   alkaloids,saponins,   physterols,   steroids   and   fixed   oils.   It   also   has   efficient   quantities   ofantioxidants   like   tocopherols   etc.   to   produce   free   radical   scavenging   activity.Various techniques such as mechanical extraction, solvent extraction, traditional extraction and super critical fluid extraction are used to obtain the oil from the seeds. ). Its oil is also effective in some disease or physiological changes such as;block thrombosis at sites of vascular injury, inhibit pathologic platelet vascular interactions   associated   with   atherosclerosis,   maintenance   of   the   immune.

Table of Contents

Abstract

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Description of sunflower plant

1.2 Scientific classification

Chapter Two

2.0 Origin of sunflower plants

2.1 Spread of sunflower plants

2.2 Uses of sunflower plant

Chapter Three

3.0 Sunflower seed and its compositions

3.1 Sunflower oil: Compositions and health benefits

3.2 Method of oil extraction

3.2.1 Traditional extraction of seed oil

3.2.2 Solvent extraction of seed oil

3.3 Medicinal uses of sunflower oil

Chapter four

4.0 Conclusion

4.1 Recommendation

4.2 References