Stereospecific Positional Distribution of Fatty Acids of Camellia ( Camellia japonica L. ) Seed Oil

The stereospecific positional distribution of fatty acids of camellia seed oil (also called camellia oil) was determined. The camellia oil was mainly composed of neutral lipids (88.2%), and the oleic acid (86.3%) was found to be a major fatty acid of neutral lipids. In the glycolipids and phospholipids, the oleic acid was also found to be a major fatty acid at 62.5% and 54.2%, respectively. The oleic acid was distributed abundantly in all sn-1, 2, and 3 positions. It was found that the oleic acid was present more at sn-2 (93.6%) and 3 positions (94.7%), than at sn-1 position (66.0%). Practical Application: The information of stereospecific positional distribution of fatty acids in the camellia oil can be used for the development of the structured lipids for food, pharmaceutical, and medical purposes.