Chemical and oxidative properties of olive and argan oils sold on the Moroccan market. A comparative study

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Gharby, Saïd^{a; b} | Harhar, Hicham^b | El Monfalouti, Hanae^{b; c} | Kartah, Bader^b | Maata, Nadia^{a; b} | Guillaume, Dom^c | Charrouf, Zoubida^b

Affiliations: [a] Laboratoire Contrôle Qualité, Lesieur-Cristal, Roches Noires, Casablanca, Morocco | [b] Laboratoire de Chimie des Plantes, Synthèse organique et bioorganique, Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences, Université MohammedV-Agdal, Rabat, Morocco | [c] UFR Médecine-Pharmacie, Université de Champagne-Ardenne, 51 rue Cognacq Jay, Reims, France. e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The chemical composition of four olive and four argan oils marketed in Morocco as extra-virgin oils was compared. Oxidative stability was also determined initially under accelerated conditions. Composition and oxidative stability of olive oils was found to be fluctuant and variety-dependent, whereas argan oil presents a profile that should more likely satisfy consumers eager to know the precise composition and nutritional property of their food.

Keywords: Olive oil, Argan oil, Oxidative stability, Preservation, Edible oil

DOI: 10.3233/s12349-011-0076-5

Journal: Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 31-38, 2012