Camellia oleifera
Camellia oleifera, commonly known as the tea oil plant, is a versatile evergreen shrub native to East Asia. Renowned for its nutrient-rich seeds, it produces premium tea seed oil prized in culinary and medicinal applications. This botanical powerhouse offers significant antioxidant properties, supporting skin health and overall wellness naturally.
- Scientific name: Camellia oleifera
- Family: Theaceae
- Native range: Asia-Temperate
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Ericales, it is classified under the family Theaceae and the genus Camellia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Ericales | WCVP |
| Family | Theaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Camellia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Camellia oleifera, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Chinese, it is referred to as 油茶 in Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), and in the Hong Kong dialect (zh-hk). In Poland, it is called Kamelia olejodajna (pl), while in Russia, it is known as Камелiя масличная (ru).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 油茶 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 油茶 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 油茶 | Wikidata |
| pl | Kamelia olejodajna | Wikidata |
| ru | Камелия масличная | Wikidata |
| ja | ユチャ | Wikidata |
| zh | 油茶 | Wikidata |
| bg | маслинова камелия | Wikidata |
| ml | കാമിലിയ ഒലിഫെറ | Wikidata |
| lt | Aliejinė kamelija | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is primarily distributed across several distinct regions within China. It can be found throughout China South-Central and the coastal areas of China Southeast. Additionally, its natural range extends to China North-Central and the tropical island of Hainan. Beyond the Chinese borders, the species also inhabits parts of the Indian Subcontinent, specifically in Assam. These diverse locations highlight the broad geographical footprint of this medicinal species.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China North-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Laos | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Myanmar | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Vietnam | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Camellia oleifera, is highly valued for its diverse botanical components that contribute to its medicinal and economic utility. The stem serves as the structural foundation of the plant, supporting the growth of tender branches that are often studied for their bioactive properties. The most significant part of the plant is the fruit, which yields high-quality seed oils that are rich in essential fatty acids. Through specialized processing, these are refined into pure tea oil, a substance prized for its nutritional and therapeutic benefits. Additionally, the production process yields defatted seeds, which remain a valuable byproduct that can be utilized in various medicinal or industrial applications.- Total parts
- 9
- Scientific sources
- 10
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| defatted seeds | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tender branchers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tea oil | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed oils | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| roots | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flowers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flower buds | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Fruit | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Camellia oleifera has 32 reported phytochemicals identified across 36 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, catechins, (-) -medioresinol, (-) -pinoresinol, Camellioferin A.
- Total chemicals
- 32
- Scientific sources
- 36
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| catechins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-) -medioresinol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-) -pinoresinol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Camellioferin A | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Sasanquasaponin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| benzoic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| betulinic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| compound 15 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| compound 4 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Camellia oleifera has 5 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Analgesic, Cytotoxic, Gastroprotective, Neuroprotective.
- Total activities
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 6
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gastroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Camellia oleifera has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antioxidant activity, antiviral, dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, melanogenesis.
- Total uses
- 5
- Scientific sources
- 5
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| antioxidant activity | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antiviral | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dyslipidemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hyperlipidemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| melanogenesis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |