Physicochemical Properties of Acer truncatum Seed Oil Extracted Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Acer truncatum seed oil rich in nervonic acid was extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide. GC (Gas Chromatography) analysis revealed that the oil contained approximately 6.22% nervonic acid. The sn-2 compositions were also determined using lipase hydrolysis. A total of 52 triacylglycerides (TAG) were tentatively identified in the oil using an ultra-performance convergence chromatography (UPC2) coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS) for the first time. In addition, the contents of phytosterols (1961.9-2402.8 mu mol/kg) and beta-carotene (2.09-2.35 mu mol/kg) were also quantified for the first time, along with tocopherols (2352.0-2654.3 mu mol/kg). The gamma-tocopherol (1296.9-1442.3 mu mol/kg) was the primary tocopherol, while beta-sitosterol (1355.2-1631.3 mu mol/kg) was the dominant phytosterol. The physicochemical properties of the oil were also investigated. This study indicated that A. truncatum seed oil is rich in nervonic acid and other nutraceutical constituents. It has a high potential in functional foods for improving human health.