Gonzalvez, A., Armenta, S., & de la Guardia, M. (2010). Adulteration detection of argan oil by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Food Chemistry, 121, 878–886. Mohammed, F. A. E., Bchitou, R., Bouhaouss, A., et al. (2013a). Can the dietary element content of virgin argan oils really be used for adulteration detection? Food Chemistry, 136, 105–108. After the first sales in the US of the cosmetic product in 2003, demand soared and production increased. In 2012 the Moroccan government planned for increased production, then around 2,500 tonnes, to 4,000 tonnes by 2020. [10]

a b Charrouf, Zoubida; Guillaume, Dominique (1999). "Ethnoeconomical, ethnomedical, and phytochemical study of Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 67 (1): 7–14. doi: 10.1016/S0378-8741(98)00228-1. PMID 10616955. Avsar U, Halici Z, Akpinar E, et al. The Effects of Argan Oil in Second-degree Burn Wound Healing in Rats. Ostomy Wound Manage. 2016;62(3):26-34.

Importance of Argan Oil as a Food and Cosmetic Product

Oleic acid is also present in several other foods, including avocado and olive oils, and is often credited with heart-protective effects ( 2, 8). Burnett, C. L., Fiume, M. M., Bergfeld, W. F., et al. (2017). Safety assessment of plant-derived fatty acid oils. International Journal of Toxicology, 36, 51S–129S. a b c d e f g h Rosengren, Izabella (6 February 2020). "The women who make argan oil want better pay". BBC News . Retrieved 7 February 2020. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Much of the argan oil produced today is made by a number of women's co-operatives. Co-sponsored by the Social Development Agency with the support of the European Union, the UCFA ( Union des Cooperatives des Femmes de l’Arganeraie) is the largest union of argan oil co-operatives in Morocco. It comprises 22 co-operatives that are found in other parts of the region. [19]

Drissi, A., Girona, J., & Cherki, M. (2003). Evidence of hypolipemiant and antioxidant properties of argan oil derived from the argan tree ( Argania spinosa). Clinical Nutrition, 23, 1159–1166. A recent study revealed a significant reduction in inflammatory markers in mice fed argan oil prior to exposure to a highly inflammatory liver toxin, compared to the control group ( 6). Madawala, S. R. P., Kochhar, S. P., & Dutta, P. C. (2012). Lipid components and oxidative status of selected speciality oils. Grasas y Aceites, 63, 143–151. Charrouf, Z., & Guillaume, D. (2018). The argan oil project: Going from utopia to reality in 20 years. Oilseeds Fats, Crops Lipids, 25, D209.Nerd, A., Irijimovich, V., & Mizrahi, Y. (1998). Phenology, breeding system and fruit development of argan ( Argania spinosa, Sapotaceae) cultivated in Israel. Economic Botany, 52, 161–167. Guinda, A., Rada, M., Delgado, T., et al. (2011). Pentacyclic triterpenic acids from Argania spinosa. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 113, 231–237. Dobrev, H. (2007). Clinical and instrumental study of the efficacy of a new sebum control cream. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 6, 113–118. Charrouf, Z., & Guillaume, D. (2011). The rebirth of the argan tree, or how to stop the desert while giving a future to Amazigh women in Morocco. In R. N. Harpelle & B. Muirhead (Eds.), Long-term solutions for a short-term world (pp. 71–86). Waterloo: WLU Press. The introduction of a mechanical technique by several industrial units and women's cooperatives improved not only the quality certified of oil but also its yield ( 41). In fact, the oil preparation process was only slightly modified: the fruits are peeled mechanically, and the oil is obtained by press extraction. In the advancement of this process, the use of water for extraction has been eliminated and the roasting step has been improved. This process has two advantages. First, argan oil can join olive oil as a “virgin extra argan oil” and, second, the new technology preserves all the known benefits of argan oil. As of this writing, argan oil is still being prepared in some sectors of Morocco using mechanical presses, however, in some industrial units and cooperatives, highly efficient, hydraulic presses have replaced endless crews ( 4). With this process (mechanical or hydraulic process), two types of oil can be obtained: food or cosmetic grade ( 48). Food argan oil is achieved by cold pressing kernels roasted for a few minutes, whereas cosmetic oil is prepared from unroasted kernels ( 14, 58). Food argan oil extraction follows six steps: fruit collection, sun-drying, dehulling, nut breaking (or kernel collection), kernel roasting, and cold-pressing. Oil decantation and filtration are also added to remove large amounts of waxes and gums. Skipping the roasting step leads to the production of cosmetic oil. Food argan oil is copper-colored whereas cosmetic argan oil is gold-colored. Each processing step dramatically influences the resulting oil in terms of quantity and quality. The importance of the extraction method on the oil quality is already particularly well-documented ( 19, 41). The effects of fruit quality and drying-time on argan oil quality have also been evaluated ( 19, 22, 41, 59). Concerning the roasting stage, the impact of its duration and the resulting volatile compounds production are well-documented ( 22). Besides, food argan has a hazelnut-like taste, mostly resulting from the presence of volatile compounds formed during kernel roasting. Volatile compounds, produced via oxidation, and/or Maillard reaction, actively participate in the preservation of food oil ( 19, 60, 61). Quality Control of Argan Oil

Del Campo, R., Zhang, Y., & Wakeford, C. (2017). Effect of miracle fruit ( Synsepalum dulcificum) seed oil (MFSO®) on the measurable improvement of hair breakage in women with damaged hair: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, eight-month trial. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 10, 39–48. El Monfalouti, H., Charrouf, Z., El Hamdouchi, A., et al. (2013a). Argan oil postmenopausal Moroccan women: Impact on the vitamin E profile. Natural Product Communications, 8, 55–57.Although these results are encouraging, more research is needed to understand how argan oil can be used medicinally in humans to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Summary Nouaim, R., Mangin, G., Breuil, et al. (2002). The argan tree ( Argania spinosa) in Morocco: Propagation by seeds, cuttings and in-vit Harhar, H., Gharby, S., Ghanmi, M., et al. (2010a). Composition of the essential oil of Argania spinosa (Sapotaceae) fruit pulp. Natural Product Communications, 5, 935–936. Khallouki, F; Younos, C; Soulimani, R; Oster, T; Charrouf, Z; Spiegelhalder, B; Bartsch, H; Owen, RW (2003). "Consumption of argan oil (Morocco) with its unique profile of fatty acids, tocopherols, squalene, sterols and phenolic compounds should confer valuable cancer chemopreventive effects". European Journal of Cancer Prevention. 12 (1): 67–75. doi: 10.1097/00008469-200302000-00011. PMID 12548113. S2CID 12350686. The various phenolic compounds in argan oil are likely responsible for most of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities.