Valorization of argan oil: all you need to know about argan oil from Morocco

Abstract

This work makes it possible to study the argan oil which has extracted by several extraction methods (artisanal, mechanical pressing of roasted almonds, mechanical pressing of unroasted almonds, solvent extraction, pulped by a goat), after extraction, a detailed Physico-chemical study was done on this oil to certify its quality, the study of this work makes it possible to achieve an official standard for argan oil and studies the influence of the extraction method and the origin of production on the chemical composition. The study shows that roasting appears as a parameter influencing the acidity value of argan oil. Analysis of the peroxide index shows that the samples of argan oil extracted by the artisanal method and that those pulped by goats have a higher peroxide content. The sterol composition as per the data in the literature. They are essentially Δ-7-stigmasterols. The main products are schottenol and spinasterol. The composition of fatty acids and sterols shows no significant variation. These results are consistent with those reported in the literature. This shows that the origin and the method of extraction do not influence the nutritional qualities of argan oil. The results for the tocopherols show that the extraction method (plump by a goat) and roasting can influence the composition of the tocopherols. On the other hand, the sample obtained by the artisanal method has a lower content of total tocopherols. Roasting decreases the total content of α-tocopherol. After this study, it is urgent to ensure the quality of this oil, so Physico-chemical analyzes were carried out to detect fraud in pure argan oil. Finally, we determined the influence of the fruit form of the argan tree (spindle-shaped, apiculate, oval, spherical) on the Physico-chemical parameters of argan oil.