A joint research team consisting of Yunnan University of Nationalities, HPRD LAB in Kunming Institute of Botany (CAS) and Thailand’s Chiang Mai University has published findings in Molecules, revealing differentiated bioactivities of crude and refined seed oil from Prinsepia utilis, a centuries-old food-medicine herb used by China’s Naxi ethnic group, laying a scientific foundation for its industrial development in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Endemic to high-altitude northwest Yunnan, Prinsepia utilis has been documented in ancient herbal classics such as Diannan Materia Medica. Local Naxi residents have long pressed its seeds into edible oil for dietary supplementation and topical application to heal chapped skin, frostbite and eczema. The team adopted subcritical extraction to produce crude oil (CO), and developed a refined oil (RO) via multi-step refining procedures. Using UPLC-QTOF-MS untargeted metabolomics, 14 differential metabolites including fatty acids, terpenoids, sterols and quinones were identified.
Quantitative detection confirmed 12 core bioactive constituents in crude oil, including three tocopherol variants, squalene, β-sitosterol and six unsaturated fatty acids, making it an ideal raw material for functional edible oil. In vitro tests demonstrated markedly enhanced bioactivity of refined oil: its DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging rates hit 79.7% and 95.8%, rising by 65.7% and 77.1% compared with CO. RO also inhibited hyaluronidase by 43.4% and elastase by 69.8%, showing outstanding anti-aging skincare effects.
Zebrafish in vivo assays further verified its skin repair efficacy: 3% RO boosted caudal fin regeneration by 15% without observable embryonic toxicity at tested dosages. Refining enriches sterols and long-chain unsaturated acids, which account for RO’s superior antioxidant and regenerative properties.
Based on the results, the research defined separate development routes: crude oil with intact nutrients suits functional food production, while high-performance refined oil is optimal for cosmetic raw materials and external medicines. This study scientifically validates Naxi traditional herbal experience and facilitates industrial exploitation of Yunnan’s characteristic medicinal plant resources.