Vegetable Oil Production Improvement

The world's annual production of vegetable oils has exceeded 100 million tons, 86% of which are used for human consumption. Vegetable oils are mainly derived from the stored oils in the seeds of some oilseed crops. Vegetable oils are generally considered to be more beneficial to human health than animal oils.

The fatty acids that make up the basic components of vegetable oils can generally be classified as saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids, like vitamins and amino acids, are also important nutrients for the human body. Among them, polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential fatty acids that cannot be synthesized by the body itself and must be taken in from food.

The fatty acid composition of oils and fats varies greatly from plant to plant, which means that there is diversity and biological plasticity in fatty acid metabolism in plants. Lifeasible, therefore, applies biotechnology such as genetic engineering to improve the fatty acid composition of oilseeds. We produce improved plant varieties that are beneficial to human health or as chemical raw materials through genetic modification and gene editing.

Types of plants that can be improved

Engineering technologies used

• Gene silencing techniques such as RNA interference (RNAi) regulate the activity of some fatty acid dehydrogenase genes and elongase genes. It is possible to modify the length and unsaturation of fatty acid chains in seeds, adjust the distribution of fatty acid molecules at triacylglyceride-related positions, and increase or decrease specific fatty acid components. This includes the use of transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), and nuclease technologies.
• Genes such as long-chain unsaturated fatty acid dehydrogenase genes and elongase genes cloned from microorganisms are introduced by transgenic techniques. The new target genes can be incorporated or introduced into a certain existing plant, capable of obtaining long-chain unsaturated fatty acids that cannot be synthesized by higher plants. Then, a variety can be improved to produce a vegetable oil with high and specific nutritional value and properties that are beneficial to human health.

Lifeasible applies genetic engineering techniques to modify and target fatty acid composition in oilseeds. It can significantly shorten the breeding cycle and improve efficiency, and even obtain special fatty acid compositions that cannot be synthesized in ordinary oil seeds. This approach can be used in several plant species to greatly improve the nutritional value of plant tissues and has the potential to expand the production of vegetable oils and industrial chemicals.

If you are interested in our services or have a special variety that needs improvement, please feel free to contact us. You can also place your order online. We look forward to working with you in the field of engineering technologies for the modification of vegetable oil production.