Abstract: As one of the four important woody oilseeds, camellia seeds have the advantages of high yield and nutritional value. The chemical composition of camellia seed oil is determined not only by camellia variety and the planting environment but also by extraction conditions. Due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acid, camellia seed oil is prone to oxidative degradation during processing, which leads to quality degradation. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the effects of different extraction methods on the chemical composition and quality of camellia seed oil and choose the suitable encapsulation method to protect it. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the differences in the composition and content of camellia seed oil from different regions and varieties. In general, the oleic acid content of camellia seed oil is higher in high-altitude regions. The average level of oleic acid in camellia seed oil from Southwest China is higher than that in South China, East China, and Central China. Compared with traditional extraction techniques for camellia seed oil, emerging extraction techniques are superior in terms of extraction efficiency and retention of bioactive constituents but have some drawbacks such as higher costs. Finally, this review summarizes the latest advances in encapsulation technologies for camellia seed oil, discusses their deficiencies, and concludes with an outlook on future prospects, with a view to providing a reference for the application and development of camellia seed oil.

Key words: camellia seed oil; extraction technologies; microencapsulation; bioactive components; camellia seed oil composition