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J. Ma et al.
saponin, most of the researches on saponin mainly focuses on the extraction and
purification of it. For example, Yang et al. have further studied on the improvement
of the method of extracting and refining saponin [22]. (3) Preparation of xylose.
Xylose is an important industrial raw material that has a wide utility in leather, coating, paint, and plastic. But there are very few studies on the preparation of xylose
from Camellia oleifera fruit shell. (4) Preparation of furfural. The tea-oil fruit husk
is rich in furfural due to its abundance of the aldehyde group, a kind of good raw
material for the preparation of furfural [23]. (5) Extraction of tannins. Tannins, also
known as Danning in China, have significant effects in inhibiting the cardiovascular
disease, anti-aging, anti-mutation, and anti-cataract. It can effectively prevent and
control the further deterioration of tumor, thus much attention has been attracted to
the pharmaceutical industry [24].
10.4 The Comprehensive Utilization of Camellia Oleifera
Fruit Shell
The Camellia oleifera fruit shell accounts for 50–60% of the weight of a whole fresh
Camellia oleifera fruit in general. For each unit of Camellia oleifera fruit shell that
may produce 100 kg of tea oil, there will be 36 kg of tannin extracts, 32 kg of furfural,
60 kg of activated carbon, and 60 kg of potassium carbonate being extracted; and
meanwhile, 6.4 kg of glacial acetic acid and 25.6 kg of sodium acetate can be derived.
In the meantime, for every 100 kg of tea oil produced, the 90 kg of saponin, 20 kg
of crude tea oil, and 200 kg of high-quality feedstuff can be extracted [25–27].
10.4.1 Production of Furfural and Xylitol
Furfural is a colorless and transparent oily chemical product widely used in rubber,
synthetic resin, paint, medicine, pesticide, and foundry industries, which is an important chemical material. Furfural produced by tea-oil husk can be obtained by means
of hydrolysis of polypentene. The theoretical content is 18.16–19.37%, close to or
exceeds the content of major raw materials like corncob (9.00%) and cottonseed hull
(7.50%), which are mainly used in the current production of furfural. Hydrolysis
of polypentose sugars can also produce xylose as it is hydrogenated to form the
xylitol. Xylitol is a sweet substance with rich nutritional value, easy to be absorbed
by the human body, completely metabolized, and no stimulation on insulin. It is an
ideal sweetener for diabetic patients, and is also an important industrial raw material
widely used in national defense, leather, plastics, paints, coatings, etc. The yield of
xylitol from Camellia oleifera fruit shell is about 12–18%. In the process of hydrolyzing polypentanose to produce furfural or xylitol, some other industrial products such
as glucose, ethanol, acetic acid, propionic acid, formic acid and sodium acetate can
J. Ma et al.
saponin, most of the researches on saponin mainly focuses on the extraction and
purification of it. For example, Yang et al. have further studied on the improvement
of the method of extracting and refining saponin [22]. (3) Preparation of xylose.
Xylose is an important industrial raw material that has a wide utility in leather, coating, paint, and plastic. But there are very few studies on the preparation of xylose
from Camellia oleifera fruit shell. (4) Preparation of furfural. The tea-oil fruit husk
is rich in furfural due to its abundance of the aldehyde group, a kind of good raw
material for the preparation of furfural [23]. (5) Extraction of tannins. Tannins, also
known as Danning in China, have significant effects in inhibiting the cardiovascular
disease, anti-aging, anti-mutation, and anti-cataract. It can effectively prevent and
control the further deterioration of tumor, thus much attention has been attracted to
the pharmaceutical industry [24].
10.4 The Comprehensive Utilization of Camellia Oleifera
Fruit Shell
The Camellia oleifera fruit shell accounts for 50–60% of the weight of a whole fresh
Camellia oleifera fruit in general. For each unit of Camellia oleifera fruit shell that
may produce 100 kg of tea oil, there will be 36 kg of tannin extracts, 32 kg of furfural,
60 kg of activated carbon, and 60 kg of potassium carbonate being extracted; and
meanwhile, 6.4 kg of glacial acetic acid and 25.6 kg of sodium acetate can be derived.
In the meantime, for every 100 kg of tea oil produced, the 90 kg of saponin, 20 kg
of crude tea oil, and 200 kg of high-quality feedstuff can be extracted [25–27].
10.4.1 Production of Furfural and Xylitol
Furfural is a colorless and transparent oily chemical product widely used in rubber,
synthetic resin, paint, medicine, pesticide, and foundry industries, which is an important chemical material. Furfural produced by tea-oil husk can be obtained by means
of hydrolysis of polypentene. The theoretical content is 18.16–19.37%, close to or
exceeds the content of major raw materials like corncob (9.00%) and cottonseed hull
(7.50%), which are mainly used in the current production of furfural. Hydrolysis
of polypentose sugars can also produce xylose as it is hydrogenated to form the
xylitol. Xylitol is a sweet substance with rich nutritional value, easy to be absorbed
by the human body, completely metabolized, and no stimulation on insulin. It is an
ideal sweetener for diabetic patients, and is also an important industrial raw material
widely used in national defense, leather, plastics, paints, coatings, etc. The yield of
xylitol from Camellia oleifera fruit shell is about 12–18%. In the process of hydrolyzing polypentanose to produce furfural or xylitol, some other industrial products such
as glucose, ethanol, acetic acid, propionic acid, formic acid and sodium acetate can