Does Argan Oil Supplementation Affect Metabolic Parameters and Behavior in Wistar Rats?

Abstract

Argan oil is renowned for its particular biochemical profile: high-fat oleic and linoleic acids, tocopherols, sterols, polyphenols. This composition gives it nutritional, therapeutic and preventive properties against dermatological, metabolic and proliferative diseases. The composition of argan oil assigns its benefits to mental health; it would be provided with possible effects on the prevention and/or cure of stress related disorder. This work aims to evaluate the impact of argan oil dietary on the behavioral response, biochemical and hematological constants and histological profiles of adrenal involved in emotional responses to stress. The variation of these parameters was evaluated in Wistar rats receiving dietary 10 ml/Kg/day of argan oil, starting from weaning, for 13 weeks. Our results show that supplementation has resulted in an increase in locomotor activity, reduced sensitivity to frightening environments with sex dependent variation. Moreover, lipid markers, corticosterone and lymphocytes show a rising trend. If the important role of argan oil diet in cardio-metabolic health is generally well recognized; for mental health, it is the first study that needs further investigation linking between the nervous system, inflammation parameters and metabolism.

Argan Oil Supplementation Reverses Anxiety and Depressive-Like Behaviors, Neurodegeneration and Oxidative Stress in Amygdala Induced by Chronic Mild Stress in Rats

“…Notably, we demonstrated that UCMS-induced behavior changes could be reversed by prolonged administration of AO (10 mg/kg/day), which confirmed further the antidepressant effect of AO. These data are in line with a previous study conducted in our laboratory, evaluating the impact of AO dietary on the behavioral response to stress, using depressive and anxiety measurement paradigms [15]. Without using a stress induction procedure, the results of the study referred to, showed that AO supplementation (10 ml/Kg/day) during 13 weeks has resulted in an increase in locomotor activity and reduced sensitivity to frightening environments (FST, EPM and OFT).…”

“…Rats were aged 21 days (at weaning) when AO supplementation began. They were supplemented daily by intra-gastric gavage (1 ml of AO/100 g of body weight, between 8:00 am and 10:00 am) [13][14][15]42,43] during 10 weeks (i.e., from 21th to 93th PND). Control animals were treated orally for the same duration with NaCl 0.9%.…”

“…• In the separation maternal model used to induce depression in rats, 10 ml/Kg/day of AO dietary for 13 weeks, reduced sensitivity to frightening environments with sex dependent variation [15]. • In the isolate social model used to develop schizophrenia in rats, AO supplementation reduced negative symptoms and working memory deficits that characterize schizotypal personality [Unpublished data].…”

“…In human emotional disorders, etiologic factors are numerous and genetic factors can interact with environmental factors to influence the vulnerability to major depression [16] or to anxiety disorders [15]. The accumulation of stressful life events has been reported to be a particularly efficient factor to precipitate the pathology.…”

Cognitive Impairments Induced by Adolescent Binge-Like Ethanol in Rat: Neuroprotective Role of Argan Oil

“…In this context, our laboratory (GNBL) demonstrated, by using animal models, that certain alternative treatments complementary to conventional pharmacology had possible beneficial effects against emotional and cognitive disorders. It is mainly a pretreatment with Argan oil (AO) [21,22], obtained from the seeds of Argania spinosa L., tree endemic to Morocco. This oil has been widely used in traditional medicine as a natural remedy for several centuries [23].…”