Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Ching-Ming Hsieh, Jeng-Chuann Yang, Huu-Sheng Lur, Yao-Chun Chuang, Kuang-Ping Hsu, and Ya-Lin Lee*

Abstract:

    Camellia brevistyla is an indigenous Taiwanese camellia tree. After harvested, the seeds were dried immediately to a moisture content of 6.5% or 12%. Then, the seeds were stored at conditions of -20, 4, or 15℃ for 6 mo before pressed for oil. Following pressing, all the oils were sealed in glass bottles and preserved at 4℃ for 6 mo, and then subjected to analyses of acid value (AV), peroxide value (POV), phenolic content, reducing power, vitamin E content, and oxidative stability. Results indicated that all the oils were comparable to the freshly pressed ones, retaining good edible quality with the evaluation standards of AV < 1.0 and POV < 20 and the common food grade pressed oil standard. All these oil samples were continually kept at 4℃ for another 6 mo storage and then subjected to reanalyzing. During this period, occasionally opening of and withdrawing some oils from the bottles were conducted to imitate a common household habit. The results indicated that the oils from seeds with lower moisture content (6.5%) and stored at temperatures below 4℃ had a better quality. Besides, the oil from seeds stored at the lowest temperature -20℃ had the best oxidative stability, which still attained the first grade camellia tea oil quality as stipulated in the national standard (AV < 1.5, POV < 6). Its phenolic content and reducing power showed the least reduction from those at the moment when unsealing (6 mo ago).

Key words:Camellia brevistyla seed, Oilseed storage condition, Moisture content of seed, Storage temperature, Oil quality

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