Camellia oil is a common edible oil extracted from Camellia oleifera seeds in
China, and it is also a traditional medicine for stomachaches and burns in folk. Camellia oil
exhibits a good regulation effect on the human heart and brain blood vessels, digestion, reproduction,
neuroendocrine and immune system. Meanwhile, various bioactive components
such as unsaturated fatty acids, tea polyphenols, squalene, and carotene isolated from Camellia
oil exhibit significant free radical scavenging, antioxidant activity, anti-tumor, antiinflammatory
and hypoglycemic effects. The material remaining after oil extraction was
named as Camellia oil cake, which also contains numerous bioactive components such as
sasanquasaponin (SQS), flavonoid and tannin. Many studies had shown that these components
have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-tumor and some other special
pharmacological activities. In this review, we summarize the main components and its
pharmacological activities of Camellia oil and Camellia oil cake, and their applications in
various industries, thus providing a valuable reference for the future development and utilization
of Camellia seeds.
New method for effective identification of adulterated Camellia oil basing on Camellia oleifera-specific DNA
