Characterization of artisanally and semiautomatically extracted argan oils from Morocco

The present study was conducted to know the possible influence of the seed treatment, method of extraction and geographical origin on the quality and chemical composition of argan oil. Artisanally and semiautomatically extracted argan oils, from roasted and unroasted seeds, from interior and coast areas, were studied. The quality parameters analyzed were acid value, peroxide value, K-232 and K-270, triacylglycerols and fatty acid composition, polar compounds, total phenols, tocopherol content and oil stability index (OSI). Seed treatment and extraction method showed a higher influence on quality parameters than geographical area, the quality parameters of the different oils were discussed. The total phenolic content in all analyzed samples was lower than 10 ppm. gamma-Tocopherol was the major tocopherol (84.4-86.4%) with a high contribution to the total tocopherol content (383-485 ppm). The OSI of the argan oil samples were well correlated (R = 0.97) with the tocopherol contents. The argan oil samples obtained from roasted seeds presented higher stability (26-38 h) than the oils from unroasted seeds (16-32 h).