Systematic review of camellia oil: from preparation, quality control, bioactive substances, authenticity...

Camellia oil contains plentiful bioactive compounds, which confer significant bioactivities in regulating blood lipids and blood pressure, and lowering blood glucose levels. However, the widespread application of camellia oil is hindered by unresolved challenges, including extraction, refining, standardization, and regulatory barriers. The limitations of traditional extraction methods have prompted researchers to enhance oil recovery rate and minimize bioactive compound losses. Meanwhile, comprehensive comparisons of extraction and refining methods to evaluate their efficiency and yield are lacking. Additionally, the commercial value of camellia oil makes its quality susceptible to various factors, thereby leading to mislabeling and market instability. Moreover, despite demonstrated biological activities in both in vitro and in vivo studies, the related mechanisms remain underexplored. Therefore, this review systematically examines the latest advancements in the extraction, refining, quality-influencing factors, bioactive components and the mechanisms of action, authenticity identification, and applications of camellia oil, while highlighting the current challenges.