Analysis of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Idesia polycarpa Pulp Oil from Five Regions in China

Idesia polycarpa pulp oil (IPPO) has the potential to become the new high-quality vegetable oil. The chemical parameters, fatty acid composition, bioactive ingredients, and antioxidant capacity of five Chinese regions of IPPO were studied comparatively, with significant differences among the regions. The oils were all abundant in unsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic acid (63.07 ± 0.03%–70.69 ± 0.02%), oleic acid (5.20 ± 0.01%–7.49 ± 0.03%), palmitoleic acid (4.31 ± 0.01%–8.19 ± 0.01%) and linolenic acid (0.84 ± 0.03%–1.34 ± 0.01%). IPPO is also rich in active substances such as tocopherols (595.05 ± 11.81–1490.20 ± 20.84 mg/kg), which are made up of α, β, γ and δ isomers, β-sitosterol (1539.83 ± 52.41–2498.17 ± 26.05 mg/kg) and polyphenols (106.77 ± 0.86–266.50 ± 2.04 mg GAE/kg oil). The free radical scavenging capacity of IPPO varies significantly depending on the region. This study may provide important guidance for the selection of Idesia polycarpa and offer insights into the industrial application of IPPO in China.