Comprehensive Review of Acer truncatum Seed Oil: Sustainable Extraction Technologies, Unique Bioactive Profile, and Emerging Applications

• ATBO contains unsaturated fatty acids (NA, linoleic, and oleic acids) and vitamin E, enhancing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. • NA-driven mechanisms activate BDNF/TrkB signaling to restore synaptic plasticity and promote myelin regeneration, alleviating cognitive deficits. • ATBO reduces serum triglycerides and LDL-C in high-fat diets while restoring intestinal microbiota balance. • Emerging applications span brain health foods, anti-aging cosmetics, and interventions for neurodegenerative diseases. Forest food is distinguished by its greenness, commitment to environmental sustainability, and high nutritional value. As a result, it enjoys widespread popularity among consumers. Acer truncatum Bunge is a newly included forest food resource in China. This paper systematically summarizes the progress of research on the extraction methods, active components and functions of Acer truncatum Bunge seed oil (ATBO), indicating that the traditional pressing method and solvent extraction method are associated with low cost, but there are problems of high-temperature oxidation and loss of nervonic acid, whereas water enzyme method and supercritical CO 2 extraction can significantly enhance the retention rate of active components. ATBO is rich in unsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, linoleic acid, and nervonic acid, etc .), phytosterols and vitamin E. It has shown a series of physiological properties beneficial to the human body in both in vivo and in vitro experiments, including anti-aging, repair of nerve tissues, lowering blood lipids, bacteriostatic, and tumor inhibition. However, the therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier and multi-component synergistic muscle industrial green extraction technology of nervonic acid still need to be further explored. Future research should focus on the high-value utilization of by-products and the construction of functional product standardization system, so as to promote the application of ATBO in brain health food and neurodegenerative disease intervention.