Quantitative Lipidomics Reveals Dynamic Lipid Profiles in Cinnamomum camphora Seed Kernels at Different Developmental Stages

Cinnamomum camphora seed kernels are a potentially valuable fatty oil resource; however, their lipid composition and dynamic changes during development remain poorly understood. In this study, morphological and anatomical observations combined with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based lipidomics were used to investigate lipid accumulation patterns in C. camphora seed kernels across five developmental stages. The results showed that seed development followed a distinctive pattern in which morphological maturation preceded physiological maturity. A total of 627 lipid molecules were identified and classified into 27 subclasses and 5 major classes. Among them, glycerolipids (GLs) and glycerophospholipids (GPs) were the dominant lipid classes, with triacylglycerols (TGs) representing the principal storage lipids. Approximately 84.2% of the detected lipids were unsaturated, indicating a highly unsaturated lipid profile. The fatty acid composition was enriched in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), especially decanoic acid and lauric acid, suggesting that C. camphora seed kernel oil possesses distinctive compositional characteristics compared with conventional fatty oils. In addition, coenzyme Q (CoQ) showed relatively high abundance and dynamic accumulation during seed development. Differential lipid analysis further revealed that lipid remodelling occurred mainly during the early developmental stages and was significantly associated with glycerolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Diacylglycerols (DGs), phosphatidylcholines (PCs), and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) decreased during early development, whereas TGs accumulated continuously from the middle stage onwards. Overall, this study provides a systematic characterisation of lipid composition and developmental dynamics in C. camphora seed kernels and offers a theoretical basis for their future utilisation as a novel functional fatty oil resource.