Proximate composition of Camellia chekiangoleosa Hu fruit and fatty acid constituents of its seed oil.

The proximate composition of Camellia chekiangoleosa Hu fruit was determined by chemical analysis, and its oil fatty acids were measured by capillary gas chromatography. The morphological structure of C. chekiangoleosa cotyledon cells was observed under the microscope. The results showed that C. chekiangoleosa kernel contained 60.3% crude fat, 8.8% crude protein and 10.34% camellia saponin on dry basis. C. chekiangoleosa testa held 2.5% crude protein, 73.4% crude fiber, and 4.08% camellia saponin on dry basis. C. chekiangoleosa pericarp had 4.0% crude protein, 31.3% crude fiber, and 20.05% camellia saponin on dry basis. The average size of C. chekiangoleosa cotyledon cells was 64.2 μm×60.8 μm. The average thickness of their cell wall was 3.03 μm and the ratio of cell wall thickness to cell size was 7.76×10-4. The lipid bodies observed in C. chekiangoleosa cotyledon cells were elliptic with a particle size of 1.0 to 1.3 μm. The data suggested that C. chekiangoleosa fruit could contribute to the industries of food, chemistry, cosmetic, etc. In addition, the analysis of capillary gas chromatography showed that C. chekiangoleosa seed oil belonged to oleic acid-type oil with 84.83% unsaturated fatty acids, indicating its fatty acid composition was coincided with the modern standards for a healthy vegetable oil.