title: Chemical composition of seed oils in native Taiwanese Camellia species.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the fatty acid (FA) composition and levels in seeds of twelve native Camellia species collected in different populations of major producing regions in Taiwan. The constituents of FAs varied within and among populations. Oleic acid (OA) was found to be the predominant FA constituent in all species. Remarkably high levels of unsaturated OA and linoleic acid (LA), found in two populations of Camellia tenuiflora (CT), C. transarisanensis (CTA), and C. furfuracea (CFA), were similar to those reported for olive oil. The levels of saturated palmitic acid (PA) from most of the tested seed oils were less than 13%. Among the different fats, some FAs can be used as functional ingredients for topical applications. The seed oils of CT, CTA, and CFA possess chemical compounds that make them useful in health-oriented cooking due to their high OA and LA contents and low PA content.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Chinese Culture University, Taipei 111, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mong Huai
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Food, Health and Nutrition Science, Chinese Culture University, Taipei 111, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, Chinese Culture University, Taipei 111, Taiwan. Electronic address: rlin@faculty.pccu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Kuan-Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D044822:Biodiversity; D028244:Camellia / Q000737:chemistry*; D003296:Cooking; D005223:Fats / Q000032:analysis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D005843:Geography; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000032:analysis*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005223:Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid
keywords: Camellia seed oil; Fatty acid; Linoleic acid; Oleic acid