Potential underutilized oil resources from the fruit and seed of Rhus chinensis Mill

Abstract

There is limited literature available regarding the characteristics of Rhus chinensis Mill fruit and seed oils, which are potential underutilized oil resources with beneficial unsaturated fatty acids and phytochemicals. In this study, chemical compositions of three cultivars of Rhus chinensis Mill fruits and seeds, as well as profiles of physicochemical properties, chemical compositions, and antioxidant capacities of the prepared Rhus chinensis Mill fruit and seed oils were investigated and compared. Results suggested that the contents of chemical components of the Rhus chinensis Mill fruit and seed and their corresponding oils varied to different extents with the certain cultivars. Rhus chinensis Mill seeds exhibited relatively high protein contents (14.38 ± 1.24–14.88 ± 0.85%), whereas the oil contents of the fruits were relatively high (19.68 ± 0.68–20.27 ± 1.33%). Rhus chinensis Mill oils were abundant in unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid (51.41 ± 1.18–53.76 ± 3.01% and 74.82 ± 3.14–75.58 ± 2.32% for the fruit and seed oils, respectively) and oleic acid (15.00 ±1.04–15.59 ± 2.06% and 12.68 ± 1.15–13.44 ± 1.08% for the fruit and seed oils, respectively). Rhus chinensis Mill seed oils contained high contents of tocopherol/tocotrienol, phytosterol, and polyphenol, thus resulting in significantly higher antioxidant capacities than the fruit oils. The results observed in the present work illuminated that the Rhus chinensis Mill fruit/seed and oil can be regarded as high-quality sources and ingredients for dietary food and nutritious supplement industries.