Argan Oil: Chemical Composition, Extraction Process, and Quality Control

In Silico Identification and Characterization of Fatty Acid Desaturase (FAD) Genes in Argania spinosa L. Skeels: Implications for Oil Quality and Abiotic Stress

Fatty acid desaturase (FAD) is the key enzyme that leads to the formation of unsaturated fatty acids by introducing double bonds into hydrocarbon chains, and it plays a critical role in plant lipid metabolism. However, no data are available on enzyme-associated genes in argan trees. In addition, a candidate gene approach was adopted to identify and characterize the gene sequences of interest that are potentially involved in oil quality and abiotic stress. Based on phylogenetic analyses, 18 putative FAD genes of Argania spinosa L. (AsFAD) were identified and assigned to three subfamilies: stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD), Δ-12 desaturase (FAD2/FAD6), and Δ-15 desaturase (FAD3/FAD7). Furthermore, gene structure and motif analyses revealed a conserved exon-intron organization among FAD members belonging to the various oil crops studied, and they exhibited conserved motifs within each subfamily. In addition, the gene structure shows a wide variation in intron numbers, ranging from 0 to 8, with two highly conserved intron phases (0 and 1). The AsFAD and AsSAD subfamilies consist of three (H(X)2-4H, H(X)2-3HH, and H/Q (X)2-3HH) and two (EEN(K)RHG and DEKRHE) conserved histidine boxes, respectively. A set of primer pairs were designed for each FAD gene, and tested on DNA extracted from argan leaves, in which all amplicons of the expected size were produced. These findings of candidate genes in A spinosa L. will provide valuable knowledge that further enhances our understanding of the potential roles of FAD genes in the quality of oil and abiotic stress in the argan tree.

Chemical Composition and Geographic Variation of Cold Pressed Balanites aegyptiaca Kernel Oil

With the increasing impacts of climate change, establishing more sustainable and robust plants such as desert dates (Balanites aegyptiaca) seems to be necessary. Known for its resilience in arid conditions, this tree has the potential to become a more important food source, particularly for its potential to yield edible oil. This study characterized Balanites kernel oil (BKO) as a promising oil source in arid regions, studying the influence of geographical origin and environmental factors. Moroccan and Sudanese BKO samples were analyzed and compared with Mauritanian BKO. In the fatty acid profile, unsaturated fatty acids constituted over 70% of the BKO profile, with a predominance of linoleic acid (Li), oleic acid (Ol), palmitic acid (Pa), and stearic acid (St). Consequently, the predominant triacylglycerols were PaLiLi, PaLiOl, LiLiOl, OlLiOl, and StLiOl. α-Tocopherol dominated the tocochromanol composition (324 to 607 mg/kg), followed by γ-tocopherol (120 to 226 mg/kg), constituting 90% of the total tocochromanols. The total phytosterol content in BKO ranged from 871 to 2218 mg/kg oil, with β-sitosterol dominating (58% to 74%). Principal Component Analysis revealed that the geographical origin significantly influences BKO composition, emphasizing environmental factors, particularly water deficit and/or temperatures. Notably, Moroccan BKO collected from an area characterized by high aridity and relatively low winter temperatures, showcased a unique profile in fatty acid, phytosterols, and tocochromanols. The valorization of BKO presents an opportunity for local agricultural development in arid regions and a role model for plant development and agricultural practices in other parts of the world.

A Review of Recent Progresses on Olive Oil Chemical Profiling, Extraction Technology, Shelf-life, and Quality Control

Olive oil (OO) is widely recognized as a main component in the Mediterranean diet owing to its unique chemical composition and associated health-promoting properties. This review aimed at providing readers with recent results on OO physicochemical profiling, extraction technology, and quality parameters specified by regulations to ensure authentic products for consumers. Recent research progress on OO adulteration were outlined through a bibliometric analysis mapping using Vosviewer software. As revealed by bibliometric analysis, richness in terms of fatty acids, pigments, polar phenolic compounds, tocopherols, squalene, sterols, and triterpenic compounds justify OO health-promoting properties and increasing demand on its global consumption. OO storage is a critical post-processing operation that must be optimized to avoid oxidation. Owing to its great commercial value on markets, OO is a target to adulteration with other vegetable oils. In this context, different chemometric tools were developed to deal with this problem. To conclude, increasing demand and consumption of OO on the global market is justified by its unique composition. Challenges such as oxidation and adulteration stand out as the main issues affecting the OO market.

Exploring the Diverse Biological Properties of Cannabidiol: A Focus on Plant Growth Stimulation

The aim of the current study was to compare some biological activities of edible oils enriched with 10 % of cannabidiol (CBD samples) from the Slovak market. In addition, hemp, coconut, argan, and pumpkin pure oils were also examined. The study evaluated the fatty acids content, as well as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and phytotoxic activities. The CBD samples presented antimicrobial activity against the tested bacterial strains at higher concentrations (10000 and 5000 mg/L) and antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata, Penicillium italicum and Aspergillus flavus. DPPH⋅ and FRAP assays showed greater activity in CBD-supplemented samples compared to pure oils and vitamin E. In cell lines (IPEC-J2 and Caco-2), a reduced cell proliferation and viability were observed after 24 hours of incubation with CBD samples. The oils showed pro-germinative effects. The tested activities were linked to the presence of CBD in the oils.

Photoluminescence of Argan-Waste-Derived Carbon Nanodots Embedded in Polymer Matrices

In this work, photoluminescent (PL) carbon nano dots (CNDs) prepared from argan waste were embedded in highly optical transparent poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (PSA) and cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC) matrices, which were further processed into thin films. In the first step, the luminescent CNDs were prepared through thermal processing of fine-groundargan waste, followed, in the second step, by direct dispersion in the polymer solutions, obtained by solving PSA and COC in selected solvents. These two polymer matrices were selected due to their high optical transparency, resilience to various environmental factors, and ability to be processed as quality thin films. The structural configuration of the CNDs was investigated through EDX, XPS, and FTIR, while DLS, HR-SEM, and STEM were used for their morphology investigation. The luminescence of the prepared CNDs and resulted polymer nanocomposites was thoroughly investigated through steady-state, absolute PLQY, and lifetime fluorescence. The quality of the resulted CND-polymer nanocomposite thin films was evaluated through AFM. The prepared highly luminescent thin films with a PL conversion efficiency of 30% are intended to be applied as outer photonic conversion layers on solar PV cells for increasing their conversion efficiency through valorization of the UV component of the solar radiation.

Improving the functionality of virgin and cold-pressed edible vegetable oils: Oxidative stability, sensory acceptability and safety challenges

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for minimally processed foods that offer health benefits and premium sensory characteristics. This trend has led to increased consumption of virgin (VOs) and cold-pressed (CPOs) oils, which are rich sources of bioactive substances. To meet consumer needs for new oil products conferring multi-functional properties over a longer storage period, the scientific community has been revisiting traditional enrichment practices while exploring novel fortification technologies. In the last four years, the interest has been growing faster; an ascending number of annually published studies are about the addition of different plant materials, agri-food by-products, or wastes (intact or extracts) to VOs and CPOs using traditional or innovative fortification processes. Considering this trend, the present review aims to provide an overview and summarize the key findings from relevant papers that were retrieved from extensively searched databases. Our meta-analysis focuses on exposing the most recent trends regarding the exploitation of VOs and CPOs as substrates, the fortification agents and their form of use, as well as the fortification technologies employed. The review critically discusses possible health claim and labeling issues and highlights some chemical and microbial safety concerns along with authenticity issues and gaps in quality specifications that manufacturers have yet to address. All these aspects are examined from the perspective of developing new oil products with well-balanced techno-, senso- and bio-functional characteristics.

Intelligent grading method for walnut kernels based on deep learning and physiological indicators

Walnut grading is an important step before the product enters the market. However, traditional walnut grading primarily relies on manual assessment of physiological features, which is difficult to implement efficiently. Furthermore, walnut kernel grading is, at present, relatively unsophisticated. Therefore, this study proposes a novel deep-learning model based on a spatial attention mechanism and SE-network structure to grade walnut kernels using machine vision to ensure accuracy and improve assessment efficiency. In this experiment, we found through the literature that both the lightness (L* value) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contens of walnut kernels were correlated with the oxidation phenomenon in walnuts. Subsequently, we clustered four partitionings using the L* values. We then used the MDA values to verify the rationality of these partitionings. Finally, four network models were used for comparison and training: VGG19, EfficientNetB7, ResNet152V2, and spatial attention and spatial enhancement network combined with ResNet152V2 (ResNet152V2-SA-SE). We found that the ResNet152V2-SA-SE model exhibited the best performance, with a maximum test set accuracy of 92.2%. The test set accuracy was improved by 6.2, 63.2, and 74.1% compared with that of ResNet152V2, EfficientNetB7, and VGG19, respectively. Our testing demonstrated that combining spatial attention and spatial enhancement methods improved the recognition of target locations and intrinsic information, while decreasing the attention given to non-target regions. Experiments have demonstrated that combining spatial attention mechanisms with SE networks increases focus on recognizing target locations and intrinsic information, while decreasing focus on non-target regions. Finally, by comparing different learning rates, regularization methods, and batch sizes of the model, we found that the training performance of the model was optimal with a learning rate of 0.001, a batch size of 128, and no regularization methods. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the ResNet152V2-SA-SE network model was effective in the detection and evaluation of the walnut kernels.

New Bio-Based Polymer Sorbents out of Terpene Compounds or Vegetable Oils: Synthesis, Properties, Analysis of Sorption Processes

This research presents a synthesis and characterization of new bio-based polymer sorbents. Natural origin substances such as terpenes (citral, limonene, and pinene) or vegetable oils (argan, linseed, and rapeseed oils) were used as monomers, and divinylbenzene was applied as the cross-linker. The newly prepared polymers were characterized by means of ATR-FTIR, TG/DTG and titration methods (acid and iodine values), and N₂ physisorption experiments. Tests of sorption ability were carried out by a dynamic solid phase extraction method using a mixture of four phenols or single-component pharmaceutical solutions (salicylic acid, aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol, and ampicillin). The performed studies revealed that the terpene-based polymers possessed better-developed porous structures (420-500 m²/g) with more uniform pores than oil-based ones. However, the surface of the oil-based sorbents was more acidic in nature. The sorption tests showed that both the porosity and acidity of the surface significantly influenced the sorption. Recoveries of up to 90% were obtained for 2,4 dichlorophenol from C-DVB, L-DVB, and Ro-DVB. The lowest affinity to the polymers exhibited phenol (5-45%), aspirin (1-7%), and ampicillin (1-7%). A 70% recovery was achieved for ibuprofen from C-DVB. In-depth data analysis allowed the influence of various factors on the sorption process of test compounds of the studied polymers to be elucidated.

Proximate Composition, Physicochemical, and Lipids Profiling and Elemental Profiling of Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Grown in Morocco

We investigate and compare the nutritional and physicochemical properties of rapeseed and sunflower grown in Morocco. In order to examine a complete physicochemical characterization, various parameters such as mineral profile, fatty acid composition, sterols contents, total flavonoids content (TFC), total polyphenols content (TPC), and quality oil parameters were evaluated. The results showed a relatively small difference in the physicochemical composition of the seeds, as sunflower seeds recorded higher amounts of protein and oil content (22.98 ± 0.01 g/100 g and 41.30 ± 0.50 g/100 g) than rapeseed (22.98 ± 0.01 and 38.80 ± 0.50), while mineral elements profile was observed to be statistically different. Nevertheless, both seeds were rich in K, Ca, P, Mg, and Na and they were relatively poor in Na, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn. The most represented macroelement was K with the amount of 7936.53 ± 63.87 mg/Kg in rapeseed and 7739.22 ± 59.50 mg/Kg in sunflower. On the other hand, Cu was present in the analyzed samples the least, mostly below 20 mg/kg. For TPC and TFC, the sunflower recorded higher values (49.73 ± 0.50 and 25.37 ± 0.39 mg GAE/g) than rapeseed (38.49 ± 0.24 and 22.55 ± 1.76 mg QE/g). The fatty acid composition showed that both extracted oils have beneficial proprieties, as they are rich in unsaturated fatty acids; namely, rapeseed oil contains a high level of oleic acid (C18 : 1) (62.19%), while sunflower oil was richer in linoleic acid (C18 : 2) (55.7%). As a result, we conclude that the studied varieties have major importance in terms of both nutritional and seed improvement potentials.

Authentication of Argan (Argania spinosa L.) Oil Using Novel DNA-Based Approaches: Detection of Olive and Soybean Oils as Potential Adulterants

Argan oil is a traditional product obtained from the fruits of the argan tree (Argania spinosa L.), which is endemic only to Morocco. It is commercialized worldwide as cosmetic and food-grade argan oil, attaining very high prices in the international market. Therefore, argan oil is very prone to adulteration with cheaper vegetable oils. The present work aims at developing novel real-time PCR approaches to detect olive and soybean oils as potential adulterants, as well as ascertain the presence of argan oil. The ITS region, matK and lectin genes were the targeted markers, allowing to detect argan, olive and soybean DNA down to 0.01 pg, 0.1 pg and 3.2 pg, respectively, with real-time PCR. Moreover, to propose practical quantitative methods, two calibrant models were developed using the normalized ΔCq method to estimate potential adulterations of argan oil with olive or soybean oils. The results allowed for the detection and quantification of olive and soybean oils within 50–1% and 25–1%, respectively, both in argan oil. Both approaches provided acceptable performance parameters and accurate determinations, as proven by their applicability to blind mixtures. Herein, new qualitative and quantitative PCR assays are proposed for the first time as reliable and high-throughput tools to authenticate and valorize argan oil.

Argan (Argania spinosa L.) Seed Oil Cake as a Potential Source of Protein-Based Film Matrix for Pharmaco-Cosmetic Applications

Various different agri-food biomasses might be turned into renewable sources for producing biodegradable and edible plastics, potentially attractive for food, agricultural and cosmeceutical sectors. In this regard, different seeds utilized for edible and non-edible oil extraction give rise to high amounts of organic by-products, known as seed oil cakes (SOCs), potentially able to become protein-rich resources useful for the manufacturing of biodegradable films. This study reports the potential of SOC derived from Argania spinosa (argan), a well-known plant containing valuable non-refined oil suitable for food or cosmetic use, to be a promising valuable source for production of a protein-based matrix of biomaterials to be used in the pharmaco-cosmetic sector. Thus, glycerol-plasticized films were prepared by casting and drying using different amounts of argan seed protein concentrate, in the presence of increasing glycerol concentrations, and characterized for their morphological, mechanical, barrier, and hydrophilicity properties. In addition, their antioxidant activity and effects on cell viability and wound healing were investigated. The hydrophobic nature of the argan protein-based films, and their satisfying physicochemical and biological properties, suggest a biorefinery approach for the recycling of argan SOC as valuable raw material for manufacturing new products to be used in the cosmeceutical and food industries.