THE INFLUENCE OF THE FORMS ON THE QUALITY, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ARGAN OIL GROWN IN MOROCCO

Argan oil plays a significant socio-economic role in southwestern Morocco, with many applications in cosmetics and nutrition. In this study, the chemical composition, the quality, as well as antioxidant activity of Argan oils extracted from different fruit shapes (apiculate, oval, spherical, and fusiform) in Essaouira and Agadir were evaluated. The results collected indicated a slight resemblance in the chemical composition of fatty acids, sterols, tocopherols, and polyphenols of Argan oils. These, extracted from two different regions, also show similar yields in the oval form, with values of 53.53 % for the Essaouira region and 54.86 % for that of Agadir. However, a slight difference was noted in the shape of the fruit. Indeed, the total sterols content for the oval shape showed values of 178.64 mg/100g in the Essaouira region and 171.97 mg/100g in the Agadir region. Also, γ-tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol in all tested oils.