Wu_2025_Food.Res.Int_218_116885

Heat pretreatment plays a crucial role in enhancing both oil yield and quality during Camellia oleifera seed processing. This present study investigates the effects of four heat pretreatments on the microstructure and physicochemical properties of Camellia oleifera seed. All pretreatments altered the appearance and compositions of the seeds. Notably, microwave significantly increased free lipid content (36.99 %), and achieved the highest oil extraction efficiency (90.99 %) with the lowest lipase activity (20.24 U). Furthermore, the potential enhancement mechanism in oil yield of microwave was proposed. Microwave might have disrupted cellular structures, lowered moisture content and lipase activity, improved seed solubility and swelling power and modified the hydrogen bonding network of lipid complexes, which facilitated oil-protein and starch complex disintegration and oil separation. Therefore, microwave proved to be a promising technique for improving oil yield and enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of Camellia oleifera seed oil, providing valuable insights for high-quality oil production.