Influence of Origin and Extraction Method on Argan Oil Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Composition

MILOUDI HILALI, ZOUBIDA CHARROUF, ABD EL AZIZ SOULHI, LARBI HACHIMI AND DOMINIQUE GUILLAUME

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During the last 15 years, the status of argan oil has been metamorphosed from a mainly exotic tourist curiosity into a prized oil of high dietetic value. This change is principally consecutive to the ascertainment of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and diunsaturated fatty acids (DUFAs) high level (oleic and linoleic acids) in argan oil (1). Indeed, the beneficial effect, on human serum lipids, of MUFAs and DUFAs is now undiscussed and, consequently, oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids are largely recommended as substitutes of saturated fatty acid-containing fats in industrialized countries. In addition, argan oil is also rich in phytosterol whose diet incorporation is supposed to offer cancer protection (2, 3).

Argan oil is prepared following a multistep process from the fruits of the argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels; syn. A. sideroxylon Roem & Schult.; sapotaceae) (1). In the parts of Morocco where it grows endemically, this tree participates in the biodiversity preservation (4) and has an important local economic impact (5). Although multiple industrial uses of argan tree secondary metabolites (1, 6) are currently being actively investigated (4, 6, 7) argan oil, which is now widely traded onthe dietetic, nutraceutic, and lucrative cosmetology markets, is, from an economical standpoint, the predominant output of the argan tree.

Traditionally, dietary argan oil is extracted by women with a millstone. However, traditional extraction is frequently achieved in unsatisfactory sanitary conditions. Consequently, an attempt was recently made to increase argan oil value by improving its extraction technology. For this, several cooperatives aimed at producing and commercializing quality certified argan oil have been initiated in South-West Morocco (4). The quality of argan oil produced in these cooperatives has now boosted its national and international demand, making necessary the determination of a national quality standard.

The aim of this present work is to study the influence of the geographical origin and extraction process on the argan oil quality in order to select some parameters that could be possibly used to establish a unarguable national standard. This latter should account for geographic specificities but allow the discarding of oils of improper quality. For this purpose, the most important physico-chemical properties that are used as quality criteria to certify olive oil quality were determined on 21 samples of argan oil randomly selected from argan oil producers (cooperatives, traditional, industrial).View full article >