Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and biological properties of Argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) (Sapotaceae) - A review

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2021-12, Vol.281, p.114528-114528, Article 114528
• Main Authors: Mechqoq, Hicham, El Yaagoubi, Mohamed, El Hamdaoui, Abdallah, Momchilova, Svetlana, Guedes da Silva Almeida, Jackson Roberto, Msanda, Fouad, El Aouad, Noureddine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Argan oil; Argania spinosa; Biological activity; Ethnobotany; Humans; Phytochemicals - pharmacology; Phytochemistry; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Sapotaceae - chemistry; Traditional use
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114528

The argan [Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels] is one of the most important floristic resource in Morocco, it is the only representative of the Sapotaceae family and Argania genus found in Morocco. This tree is fully exploited by the native populations for nutrition, medication and cosmetics. The argan oil extracted from seed is the main tree product for his large use. This review describes the traditional uses, chemical composition and biological activities of different the argan tree parts. This review covers the literature available from 1972 to 2021. The informations were collected from electronic databases Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, SciFinder and Google Scholar. Argan oil have been used for nutrition, and to treat several diseases, namely rheumatisms, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, lung infections, newborn gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, skin and hair hydration. The other parts of Argan tree have been used to treat intestinal disorders, dermatosis, and hair caring, with additional uses such as livestock nutrition, carpentry and heating. The argan oil is primarily composed of unsaturated fatty acids mainly oleic and linoleic acids furthermore the chemical composition, of the others part, are very diversified (flavonoids, terpenoids, triacylglycerols, saponins. …). Diverse biological activities have been reported for argan oil, such as antioxidant, skin water retention, hair protection, cholesterol stabilization, antidiabetic, anticancer and antibacterial. Antimicrobial activities have been reported for argan leaves essential oils, when the fruit pulp organic extract presented very interesting antioxidant activity due to the presence of polyphenols. The argan cake is the seed waste produced during the extraction process, it is traditionally used for skin care and for livestock nutrition. Different biological activities of argan cake have been cited essentially antioxidant, haemoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. [Display omitted] •A. spinosa oil is a very popular ingredient in cosmetic industry , and has a wide range of traditional, health and food uses.•This paper is the first systematic review to report the full published works related to ethnobotany, phytochemistry and bioactivity evaluation of argan tree full parts.