Vida útil de los aceites de cactus marroquí (Opuntia ficus-indica) y de argán (Argania spinosa). Estudio comparativo

Cactus seed oil is gaining considerable popularity in the cosmetic industry. To estimate cactus seed oil’ industrial as well as domestic ease of use, we investigated the oxidative stability of Moroccan cactus seed oil under accelerated aging conditions. In addition, we compared cactus seed oil stability to that of argan oil, a popular and well-established cosmetic oil, under the same conditions. Cactus seed oil is much more sensitive to oxidation than argan oil. Its shelf-life can be estimated to be no longer than 6 months at room temperature. Such instability means that the preparation process for cactus oil must be carried out with great care and cactus seed oil needs to be protected once extracted.El aceite de semillas de cactus está ganando considerable popularidad en la industria cosmética. Para estimar la facilidad de uso industrial y doméstico del aceite de semilla de cactus, investigamos la estabilidad oxidativa del aceite de semilla de cactus marroquí en condiciones de envejecimiento acelerado. Además, comparamos, bajo las mismas condiciones, la estabilidad del aceite de semilla de cactus con la del aceite de argán, otro aceite cosmético popular y bien establecido. El aceite de semilla de cactus es mucho más sensible a la oxidación que el aceite de argán. Su vida útil se puede estimar en no más de 6 meses a temperatura ambiente. Tal inestabilidad significa que los procesos preparativos del aceite de cactus deben manejarse con mucho cuidado y el aceite de semilla de cactus debe protegerse una vez extraído

Etude physico-chimique de deux variétés de figuier de barbarie ('Achefri' et 'Amouslem') du Sud marocain

This work concerns the morphological characterization of fruits of two cultivars of prickly pear; Achefri and Amouslem widely present in two regions of southern Morocco; Arbaa Sahel and Asgherkiss. The study of the interaction between cultivar and the site shows in both localities that Opuntia has specific adaptations to their environment. Some parameters such as color, weight and diameter of the fruit, the weight of the pulp and sugar content showed a significant difference between the cultivars of the two studied sites.Ce travail concerne la caractérisation morphologique, des fruits de deux cultivars de figuier de barbarie; Achefri et Amouslem largement présents dans deux régions du Sud marocain; Arbaâ Sahel et Asgherkiss. L’étude de l’interaction entre le cultivar et le site montre dans les deux localités que les Opuntia présentent des adaptations propres à leur environnement. Certains paramètres tels que la couleur, le poids et le diamètre du fruit, le poids de la pulpe et sa teneur en sucres présentent une différence significative entre les cultivars des deux sites étudiés

Controlling Argan Seed Quality by NIR

The suitability of using visible/near infrared spectroscopy (Vis/NIR), as a rapid and non-destructive technique for monitoring the quality of argan seeds (Argania spinosa Skeels) was studied. The analyzed parameters were the fatty acid composition of argan seed oil, seed moisture content, seed oil content and oil stability index (OSI). The ratio between major unsaturated and saturated fatty acids (U/S) during the oxidation assay at constant temperature was studied. Values from infrared drying were used as a laboratory reference for the moisture. Argan seed oil content was determined by Soxhlet extraction. A fatty acid analysis was carried out by gas chromatography and the OSI was determined by the Rancimat test. Predictive models of argan seed moisture, ratio U/S and OSI showed good accuracy. Therefore, Vis/NIR measurements can be used for controlling several argan seed quality parameters. This procedure might be of interest to the argan oil industry, which is currently in the process of modernization and expansion.The authors are grateful to the Spanish Agency for the International Cooperation (AECID-MAE) for financing the Project A/019935/08. They also express their gratitude to the industrial plant Argan Oil Company Ltd. Morocco for the argan seed supply.Peer Reviewe

Alwana oil: The traditional Amazigh olive oil of the Pre Rif (Northern Morocco)

International audiencePurpose of the researchAlwana oil is a unconventional type of olive oil that has been prepared for centuries from roasted olives by women of Berber origin in the central Rif mountain. This study is aimed at documenting the information about alwana oil, an emerging ingredient of moroccan cuisine.ResultsAlwana oil has a good nutritional value and an interesting profile that should allow it to easily find its place in gourmet stores.ConclusionsAlwana oil is a new type of oil that merits to find its place in the edible oil vast field. However, a special care must be taken to minimize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation during olive heating. Satisfactory polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels will allow its export

Investigation of corrosion inhibition of C38 steel in 5.5 M H3PO4 solution using <em>Ziziphus lotus</em> oil extract: An application model.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the corrosion inhibition effect of extracted oil from Ziziphus lotus fruit on corrosion of C38 carbon steel in 5.5 M H3PO4 solution using potentiodynamic polarization and impedance techniques. Design/methodology/approach Oil composition was determined using gas chromatography, and the results showed that oleic and palmitic acids present approximately 84.0 per cent of its total chemical content. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data were analyzed by adapting it to a well-developed electric circuit model. The inhibition efficiency of Z. lotus oil was calculated and compared using Tafel polarization and EIS. Findings Accordingly, the oil extract was found to act as an anodic type inhibitor. Furthermore, inhibition efficiency of Z. lotus oil extract increase with oil concentrations and achieve approximately 70.5 per cent at 3 g/L solution of Z. lotus oil. Originality/value The results obtained from different tested methods were in line, and the oil was able to reduce significantly the kinetics of the corrosion process of C38 carbon steel

Phytochemical study of prickly pear from southern Morocco

This work concerns the phytochemical study of the prickly pear pulp’s fruits of two opuntia cultivars; Achefri and Amouslem widely present in two regions of southern Morocco; Arbaa Sahel and Asgherkis that are different in their altitude and annual rainfall. The results of the phytochemical study show that the levels of antioxidants have a non-significant difference between the fruits of the two sites (comparing Amouslem and Achefri in the same site, on the one hand, for the differences due to the variety or cultivar, on the other hand between Amouslem and Achefri from the two sites to show the site effect)

Chemical characterization and oxidative stability of seeds and oil of sesame grown in Morocco

The objective of this research work was to determine the characteristic features of the oil content and composition of nutrients of sesame seeds grown in Morocco. Characteristic features of the seed oil revealed a high degree of unsaturation and as determined by gas chromatography reported herein, the major unsaturated fatty acids were linoleic acid (46.9%) followed by oleic acid (37.4%), while the main saturated fatty acid was palmitic acid (9.1%). Sesame seed oil was also found to be rich in tocopherols with a predominance of γ-tocopherol (90.5%). The phytosterol marker β-sitosterol accounted for 59.9% of total sterols contained in sesame seed oil. This oil, therefore, has a potential for its use in human nutrition or industrial applications. Compositional analysis revealed that the sesame seeds contained considerable amounts of protein (22%) and high amounts of lipids (52%). Nutrient information reported herein illustrates the benefits to public health for consumers of these plant seeds. In terms of oil, sesame seed oil may be considered as a valuable source for new multi-purpose products as industrial, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical uses

Comprehensive Overview On Nutritional, Phytochemistry And Pharmacological Properties Of Tetraclinis Articulata Masters

Tetraclinis articulata is a medicinal plant distributed from northwestern Africa to southwestern Europe. This article reports previous investigations on T. articulata regarding its taxonomy, botanical description, geographical distribution, traditional use, phytochemistry, biological effects, toxicology, nutritional value, and economic interest. The search of data was based on several scientific databases such as Scopus, Wiley Online, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, and SpringerLink. Indeed, several biological activities were reported for T. articulata extracts and EOs, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticorrosion, cytotoxic, insecticidal, leishmanicidal, larvicidal, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, vasorelaxant, and protective activities. Moreover, some toxicological reports indicated that T. articulata does not present any toxicity. However, other investigations regarding the toxicity, the pharmacokinetic and the pharmacodynamics of T. articulata and its major bioactive compounds are required to validate its pharmacological use. T. articulata also contains some nutritional elements such as mineral compounds, sugar and proteins which could indicate its potential use in the nutraceutical field. All these properties to T. articulata attributed a major economic interest which is used actually in the manufacture of luxury varnishes, pharmaceutical products and in other industrial uses, it is also used in powder form to prepare the surface of certain paper