Healthier cottonseed oil
Cottonseed
oil is used extensively as an ingredient in margarines and cooking oils,
particularly in the food service sector. When cottonseed oil is processed
cholesterol raising trans-fatty acids are created. CSIRO has used hairpinRNAi
to silence the FAD2-1gene in cottonseed that normally converts oleic acid
to polyunsaturated fatty acids. The resultant high-oleic cottonseed oil
is suitable for cooking applications and does not contain the cholesterol
raising trans-fatty acids.
HairpinRNAi has also been successful in altering the proportions of saturated fatty acids in cottonseed oil so that more stearate is produced rather than palmitate. The high-stearate cottonseed oil could provide a nutritionally superior hard stock for margarine production.