Lunaria annua as a next-generation oilseed: a multidisciplinary review of its biochemical, genetic, and industrial potential

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Abstract
This review highlights Lunaria annua as a next‑generation industrial oilseed with a unique fatty acid profile and emerging genomic tools, positioning it for significant improvement and broad applications in biolubricants, bioplastics, and bio-based therapeutics. Lunaria annua, an ornamental of the Brassicaceae species, is emerging as a valuable oilseed crop due to its high levels of erucic and nervonic acids with applications in biolubricants, bioplastics, and neurotherapeutics. Recent advances in metabolomics, enzymology, and comparative genomics have improved understanding of fatty acid biosynthesis pathways and identified candidate genes associated with oil composition. Advances in biotechnology and breeding approaches have also provided tools for investigating traits related to oil production and environmental stress responses. However, several factors, such as agronomic performance, climatic adaptability, extraction and processing efficiency, and economic viability, require further research attention before large-scale cultivation can be considered. This review synthesizes current knowledge of L. annua biology, oil biosynthesis, and crop improvement strategies and discusses the challenges and research priorities that could influence its development as a future industrial oilseed crop.

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