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Altering the microbiota by the daily diet is highly associated with improved human health. Studies confirms the gastrointestinal protective and anti-inflammatory effects of camellia oil; however, the benefits in gut microbiota remain unclear. Camellia oils of <i>Camellia oleifera</i> (PCO) and <i>C. brevistyla</i> (TCCO) were used to evaluate probiotic growth in vitro. In addition, the protective effects of camellia oils in the acetic acid (AA)-induced colitis rat model were investigated. In vitro fermentation study showed the proliferation of <i>Lactobacillus</i> spp. and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> spp. from human intestinal microbiota was increased after TCCO treatment. Moreover, the rats pretreated with TCCO exhibited significantly less AA-induced colonic injury and hemorrhage, higher serum immunoglobulin G 1 (IgG 1) levels, lower malondialdehyde levels, and lower inflammatory cytokine production in the colon tissue compared with those in the PCO group. Surprising, the protective effect against acetic acid-induced colitis by TCCO was similar to sulfasalazine (positive control) treatment. Moreover, TCCO increased the richness and diversity of probiotics in gut microbiota. TCCO alleviated AA-induced colitis by modulating gut microbiota, reducing oxidative stress and suppressing inflammatory responses.