Fatty acid composition of Camellia oleifera oil

Camellia oleifera originates from China and is important for the economy of southern China. Seeds from the cultivars LCDG, YAYC, and CR3 of Camellia oleifera were analyzed for their amount of 14 different fatty acids (unsaturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated). In contrast to former investigations additional kinds of fatty acids could be isolated from Camellia oleifera seeds: The composition of this oil is very similar to olive oil, comprising 67.7–76.7 % oleic acid, 82–84 % unsaturated fatty acids, 68–77 % monounsaturated fatty acids, and 7–14 % polyunsaturated acids. Moreover, Camellia oleifera oil has many advantages to rapeseed oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, safflower seed oil, and especially pig oil.