Abstract Background Camellia oil is a characteristic Chinese plant oil and is hailed as “the olive oil of the East”. However, there is a significant difference in the active ingredient between it and olive oil, which consequently leads to different effects. Results A detection method for triterpene alcohols in camellia oil was developed and validated using a gas chromatography/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Human keratinocytes were utilized to construct an oxidative stress‐induced injury model to detect related inflammatory factors, thereby verifying the anti‐inflammatory effect of triterpene alcohol. The results indicated that camellia oil contained β‐amyrin, lupeol, and butyrospermol. This method exhibits a good linear relationship within a certain concentration range, with a linear correlation coefficient R2 greater than 0.9999. The limits of detection (LOD) for β‐amyrin, lupeol, and butyrospermol were 21, 12, and 12 mg/kg, respectively, and the limits of quantification (LOQ) were 81, 39, and 39 mg/kg. The recovery rates of spiked samples at three concentration levels (low, medium, and high) ranged from 88.9% to 100.2%, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 1.79% to 4.47%. Through anti‐inflammatory research, glycerol trioleate can significantly reduce the level of IL‐1α, Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), IL‐8, and PGE2. On the dimensions of IL‐1α and TSLP, triterpene alcohols can synergistically enhance the effect of glycerol trioleate in further reducing the level of inflammatory factors. Therefore, this indicates that triterpene alcohols can synergistically enhance the anti‐inflammatory effect of glycerol trioleate. Conclusion The findings provide data support for the further research on triterpene alcohols in camellia oil and the application of camellia oil in cosmetics.
Cheng et al. (Fri,) studied this question.