Sunflower oil, extracted from the seeds of Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus), is most commonly used in food as a frying oil and cooking purposes, and also in cosmetic formulations. North America is known as the motherland of sunflowers.
Several varieties of sunflower oilseeds have been developed by standard plant breeding methods, mainly to vary the amounts of oleic acid and linoleic acid which, respectively, are the predominant monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in sunflower oil.