Development of a Rapid and Simple Non-Derivatization Method to Determine Constituents and Antioxidative Capacity of Camellia Oils by HPTLC

Abstract

Camellia oil is an edible vegetable oil with high value of nutrition and health protection function such as antioxidant and adjusting blood fat. In this study, a simple, rapid and effective HPTLC method was developed for analyzing the composition and antioxidant constituents of camellia oil. The HPTLC was performed on G60 plate with n-hexane-diethyl ether-acetic acid (6:4:0.1, v/v/v) as mobile phase combined with two coloration methods (ethanol containing 10% phosphomolybdic acid, ethanol containing 0.03% DPPH) and scanning densitometry technique. The unsaturated fatty glyceride, free fatty acids, sterols and lipids including triolein, oleic acid, ergosterin, β-sitosterol, tocopherol and phospholipids in camellia oils were determined and performed densitometrically at λs1 = 620 nm and λs2 = 517 nm. The results show that the main components of different samples of camellia oil are similar, however the contents are diverse. The antioxidative test shows that camellia oil has obvious antioxidant capability as olive oil, especially the pressed virgin oil. Therefore, this non-derivatization HPTLC method can be used for composition and antioxidative capacity determination of camellia oils.