Chemical characterization, geographical traceability and quality control of Moroccan argan oils: analytical fingerprints and chemometric approaches

Argan oil is obtained from the fruits of the Argan tree (Argania spinosa L.) and it is one of the leading cosmetic and edible oils in the world. Argan oil production is considered as an imperative sector for the economy of the Southwestern Moroccan regions. Under that perspective, Argan oil sector modernization, yield increase, geographical origin protection and quality control enhancement, are priorities for the Moroccan agricultural authority. Quality control and geographical characterization of Argan oil have been among the specific objectives of our research for protecting this heritage and increasing its economic value. Our studies have focused on the establishment of efficient instrumental analytical methods, combining the comprehensive characterization of the Moroccan Argan oil composition (by developing fingerprints) and chemometric data treatment in order to develop trustworthy and efficient tracing models for geographical origin, authentication, shelf life and quality control. Briefly, the studies were conducted on more than 600 Argan oil samples, collected from five Moroccan regions (Ait-Baha, Agadir, Essaouira, Tiznit and Taroudant) during the harvest seasons between 2011 and 2018. Geographical classification, quality characterization, authentication and oxidative evaluation of these Moroccan Argan oils were carried out using several fingerprint techniques (FTIR, NIR, Raman, UV-Visible and SIFT-MS) and chemical properties profiling (i.e. free acidity, peroxide value, spectrophotometric indices, fatty-acid composition, tocopherol and sterol contents) associated with chemometric tools. Finally, it should be noted that the results are of great interest for the valorization and protection of the Argan tree, the Argan oil and for the human sustainability in the Southwestern Moroccan regions.

Jaar van publicatie:2020