Original Articles
RahmaBelcadiHaloui, Abderrahma
Abstract
The effect of four extraction methods on chemical composition and oxidative stability of argan oil were studied. The output was low with artisanal extraction (39%) and press (41%) compared to Soxhlet (59%) and Folch (56%) methods. The acidity, fatty acids, phospholipids and tocopherols contents were significantly influenced by the extraction procedure. Acidity and phospholipids rates were superior in the oil extracted with Folch technique. The concentration of fatty acids varied from 19.45 to 20.30%, 44.95 to 47.02% and 32.17 to 34.56% for saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids respectively. The tocopherols content was significantly higher with the methods of Folch (1256 mg/kg) and Soxhlet (1158.5 mg/kg) compared to the traditional technique (588 mg/kg) and the press (864 mg/kg).The oil extracted by Folch was more stable compared to those obtained with other extraction methods. This result was explained by the higher content of antioxidants (tocopherols and phospholipids) in the oil extracted by the Folch technique.