Characterization of the Volatile Compounds in Camellia oleifera Seed Oil from Different Geographic Origins

Abstract

Volatile flavor of edible oils is an important quality index and factor affecting consumer choice. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize virgin Camellia oleifera seed oil (VCO) samples from different locations in southern China in terms of their volatile compounds to show the classification of VCO with respect to geography. Different samples from 20 producing VCO regions were collected in 2020 growing season, at almost the same maturity stage, and processed under the same conditions. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with a gas chromatography–mass spectrometer system (GC–MS) was used to analyze volatile compounds. A total of 348 volatiles were characterized, including aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids, esters, alkenes, alkanes, furans, phenols, and benzene; the relative contents ranged from 7.80–58.68%, 1.73–12.52%, 2.91–37.07%, 2.73–46.50%, 0.99–12.01%, 0.40–14.95%, 0.00–27.23%, 0.00–3.75%, 0.00–7.34%, and 0.00–1.55%, respectively. The VCO geographical origins with the largest number of volatile compounds was Xixiangtang of Guangxi (L17), and the least was Beireng of Hainan (L19). A total of 23 common and 98 unique volatile compounds were detected that reflected the basic and characteristic flavor of VCO, respectively. After PCA, heatmap and PLS-DA analysis, Longchuan of Guangdong (L8), Qingshanhu of Jiangxi (L16), and Panlong of Yunnan (L20) were in one group where the annual average temperatures are relatively low, where annual rainfalls are also low. Guangning of Guangdong (L6), Yunan of Guangdong (L7), Xingning of Guangdong (L9), Tianhe of Guangdong (L10), Xuwen of Guangdong (L11), and Xiuying of Hainan (L18) were in another group where the annual average temperatures are relatively high, and the altitudes are low. Hence, volatile compound distributions confirmed the differences among the VCO samples from these geographical areas, and the provenance difference evaluation can be carried out by flavor.

Rapid and Low-Cost Quantification of Adulteration Content in Camellia Oil Utilizing UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy Combined with Feature Selection Methods

“…Camellia oil, as one of the most valuable edible oils [ 1 , 2 ], is highly sought after by consumers because of its great potential in the health care, medical, beauty, and chemical fields [ 3 , 4 ]. The superior physicochemical properties possessed by Camellia oil result in its price being significantly higher (5–10 times) than that of common edible oils (such as soybean and rapeseed oils) [ 5 ].…”

Typical Characterization of Commercial Camellia Oil Products Using Different Processing Techniques: Triacylglycerol Profile, Bioactive Compounds, Oxidative Stability, Antioxidant Activity and Volatile Compounds

“…As a woody oil with Chinese characteristics, it has the reputation of “Oriental Olive Oil” due to its extremely similar physicochemical properties and fatty acid composition to olive oil [ 2 ]. Generally, the quality of camellia oil plays a crucial role in consumer choices, which depends on their nutritional properties or organoleptic perspectives [ 3 ]. The nutritional value of camellia oil is related to its fatty acid composition and minor components, whereas the aroma is strongly influenced by volatile compounds [ 4 ].…”