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Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is currently focused on enhancing the oil content and nutritional value to meet the demand of nutraceutical market supply, as an alternate source of fish oil, a rich source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6). Flax seed is also rich in soluble and insoluble fibers and lignans, makes it useful as a dietary supplement. Intake of flaxseed in daily diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Omega 3 fatty acids are an object of considerable medical and nutritional research for a wide range of human health conditions and disorders, including inflammation, joint and bone health, menopause, aging and obesity. With FDA-approved health claims that omega 3’s may lower the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease, adults are increasingly seeking to incorporate these essential fatty acids into their daily diets. Breeding for fiber yield can be divided into two components, straw yield and fiber content. Linseed oil has more than 50% linolenic acid which is fit for its industrial application but where linseed oil is being used as edible oil, the linolenic acid needs to be reduced. Efforts in this direction have already been successful with the development of low linolenic acid varieties LINOLA in Australia in 1984 and SOLIN in Canada in 1990. In India too national linseed program in collaboration with BARC, Mumbai has developed some genotypes with less than 1% linolenic acid. Hence, the breeding efforts are needed further for development of low linolenic acid varieties, the oil of which can be widely used as cooking oil.

Keywords: Flax, Fatty acid, Genetics, Omega-3, Oilseed.