Physicochemical Characteristics and Functional Properties of Seed Oil from Four Different Cultivars of S. Wilsoniana

A study is conducted to explore the under-utilized resources of Swida wilsoniana seed oil (SWSO). Physicochemical properties of four cultivars of SWSO and their fatty acid composition, phytochemicals, oxidation stabilities, and antioxidant capacities are evaluated. The results indicate that SWSO is abundant in unsaturated fatty acids (76.02-82.43%) and contained a high phytochemical content. Gamma-tocotrienol (206.03 +/- 0.21-215.84 +/- 0.17 mg kg(-1)), beta-amyrin (107.12 +/- 0.27-192.30 +/- 1.17 mg kg(-1)), and betulin (32.82 +/- 0.59-88.20 +/- 0.37 mg kg(-1)) are major components of SWSO compared to familiar oils. The induction period (5.08-5.80 h) is negatively correlated with unsaturated fatty acid content (r = -0.948*, P < 0.01), particularly linoleic acid (r = -0.938*, P < 0.01). A high antioxidant capacity is observed in SWSO which is primarily attributed to tocopherol/tocotrienol content (0.832*-0.963*). SWSO can be regarded as a new resource and a high-quality ingredient for dietary foods and other applications. Practical applications: The favorable physicochemical characteristics and functional properties of SWSO indicate that it may be used as a novel and daily edible oil through moderate refining. It also exhibits promise to protect the artery and liver as a special oil for use as shortening and frying because of its ideal FAC and antioxidant capacity. In addition, SWSO may be suitable for the cosmetics industry. Furthermore, more varieties should be obtained to verify and refine the correlations between chemical composition and antioxidant properties. In addition, the specific phenolics in SWSO should be identified to better characterize the relationship between polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity.