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The objective of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) to obtain oil from hemp seeds (Cannabis sativa L.) grown in northern Morocco. Optimisation of AEE extraction parameters, including pH, enzyme concentration (hemicellulase, protease and pectinase), temperature and incubation time, to maximize oil yield was achieved using response surface methodology with a central composite design. For comparison, the solvent extraction (Soxhlet) (SE) method was also used. Optimized hydrolysis conditions involved incubation for 4 hours at 60°C with a pH of 6.5, using a multi-enzyme preparation comprising protease, hemicellulase and pectinase at concentrations of 55, 202.5 and 234 U/mg, respectively. Referring to the conventional Soxhlet extraction (SE), Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction (AEE) achieved a 30.65% oil recovery rate under the optimized parameters mentioned above. The use of enzymes produced an oil that was more stable against oxidation than the solvent-extracted oil, with a peroxide value (PV) of 19.54 and 47.87 meq O2/kg, respectively. Furthermore, HPLC-DAD analysis of tocopherol content indicated a higher total tocopherol content (547.2 mg/kg) in Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction (AEE) compared to Soxhlet Extraction (SE) (513.51 mg/kg), with γ-tocopherol being the predominant form. No significant differences in fatty acid composition were observed between the two extraction methods with linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid being the predominant constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica), is a Cactaceae plant with a great economic relevance in the world. Nowadays, nopal cactus industry is active and rapidly expanding.In fact, the seeds oil sector is the best exploitation due to the high price of this oil. Moisture content, oxidative stability, quality index, total phenol, flavonoids, chlorophyll and carotenoid contentof prickly pear seed oil were analyzed.The seeds used in this study were provided by a cooperative DAR ATABIAA located in Chouihia (Eastern region of Morocco) during the harvesting season 2020. The samples were obtained from wild trees grown in this region. Results showed that moisture content of prickly pear seeds was 9.12%, whereas the acidity and peroxide index value was 1.11% and 4.44 meq O2/kg respectively, andan oxidative stabilityof 17.31 hours. The total phenolic and the flavonoid content values for theseseed oilsare 260.07 mg/kg and 65.99 mg/kg, respectively. Furthermore, the results show a carotenoid contentof 0.61 mg/kg and total chlorophyll of 1.52 mg/kg.

The new trend of almond planting intensification aims for better profitability at the expense of biodiversity, which will lead to forsaking of local Beldiecotypes. Indeed, European late-flowering cultivars, especially Ferragnes and Ferraduel, were recently largely planted in northeastern Morocco. In parallel with our studies on these new almond crops, which are profitable in favorable areas, this research aims to conserve local almond biodiversity. Thus, it seeks added value for products from Beldialmonds, particularly for defective kernels (Doubles, malformed, split, and broken almonds). Therefore, these defective kernels could be used as raw materials for almond oil extraction to be used in cosmetology or even in food industry. in addition, this study is the first that has been conducted to determine the characterization of the Beldi ecotype has been carried out in this region. Low acidity and peroxide indexes values, which are respectively 0.44% and 2.67 meq O2/Kg, and a medium oxidative stability value (19 hours)were recorded for the studied almond oils obtained from seeds by mechanical pressing extraction. Total tocopherols content showed significant values 528.28 mg/Kg, with α-tocopherol as dominant. The total phenolic content of the analyzed Beldi almond oil is 147.59 mg/kg,The analyzed fatty acid profiles show that their composition is mainly constituted by oleic acid (64.68%). Finally, it should be noted that despite its low production, the Beldiecotypes will continue to spread in the marginal agro-ecological zones due to their remarkable resistance to drought and their almond oils highly valued in cosmetic, especially for skin and hair care products.

In the North-Eastern Mediterranen coast of Morocco, the establishment of seaside resorts built as part of the Plan Azur, substantially degraded the coastal matorral of Juniperus phoenicea L. Nonetheless, the species remains an important resource for the ecological balance. The estimation of the changes in land cover is a suitable method to evaluate the degradation rate of the matorral. The aim of the current study is to warn about the degradation of J. phoenicea in Saidia coastline by quantifying the inter-years dynamic of J. phoenicea matorral in 1965 (before the Plan Azur) in 2004 and 2021(after the Plan Azur). Estimation of changes in matorral cover rate was achieved by photo-interpretation. Analysis indicates that J. phoenicea matorral ecosystem of Saidia has been affected by a drop of 63% in land area, over a period of time not exceeding 17 years. Currently the picture of the coastal matorral of J. phoenicea is rather bleak; the vulnerability of this valuable resource has prompted us to raise the alarm in order to preserve remaining up shrubs to the present time.

The fig tree (Ficus carica L.) is one of the earliest fruit trees cultivated in Morocco, especially in the north-eastern region; which is growing inextricably linked to our social and cultural heritage. This study concerns morpho-pomological and chemical parameters of five local fig varieties, namely: Aounk Hmam “AH”, Chetoui “CH”, Bounacer “BN”, Ghoudane “GH”, and Malha “MA”. Significant differences were observed among the studied fig cultivars for some of the parameters investigated. In particular, the average fruit weight that ranged from 29.72 g to 58g for MA and AH respectively. At the ripening stage, fruits “MA” show the best skin cracks, while fruits “AH” are distinguished by their ease of peeling.In terms of titratable acidity, “AH” has the lowest value, while “CH” has the highest level. For the sweetest and tastiest variety of figs, Brix readings (expressed as total soluble solids content) registred range between 27 - 35% respectively for the MA and GH . According to the results of the parameters evaluated, particularly the acidity and the Brix index, the best varieties worthy of consideration from an agricultural and industrial point of view are “AH” and “CH” cultivars.

Ninety female lambs of the Beni-Guil sheep breed were used to study the effect of slaughter live weight (SLW) on carcass characteristics and meat quality. The animals were raised in Morocco’s eastern area under a pastoral-transhumant system. The lambs were slaughtered at three weight classes (SLW1 =20-25 kg, SLW2 = 26-30 kg, SLW3 = 31-35 kg). Ultimate pH value (pHu), fat and meat color, zoometric measurement, conformation score, fatness state, and fat consistency were evaluated 24 h post-slaughter. The carcass measures and compactness indexes increase with higher SLW (p0.05) by SLW effect. With respect to meat color, the lightness (L*) decreased with increasing SLW, while the redness increased (p

Reducing the pollution is a serious environmental challenge facing the oil producing industry worldwide. Conventionally, oil from oleaginous is extracted in large scale by mechanical expression or organic solvent extraction. In spite of its high yield, organic solvent extraction is time-consuming and very harmful to health and environment. Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction (AEE) is an eco-friendly extraction method using water as an extraction medium. Its application is a feasible alternative to traditional processing technologies without using organic solvents. However, its efficiency depends on many factors. This study aims to investigate the potential of AEE method to extract oil from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds using hemicellulase. Four extraction parameters with different levels that are incubation temperature, incubation time, initial pH, and enzyme concentration were evaluated. The optimum extraction conditions recorded were 65°C, pH 5, 4% w/w of enzyme and 3 hours of incubation. The obtained results showed that AEE reach a maximum of 70.45 % oil recovery. Therefore, Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction can be suggested as an environmentally cleaner alternative method to efficiently extract oil from safflower seeds.

The purpose of this study is to complete our work on the characterization of four safflower varieties produced in the oriental region of Morocco by determining the composition of their meals. This characterization was carried out by analyzing proteins, amino acids, fibers, carbohydrates and mineral elements. The results show that the protein content varies in a range of 17.06–27.05%, fibers 63.45–69.97%, carbohydrates 12.40–17.07% and ash 3.11–3.60% on dry weight basis. The most abundant amino acid in the studied safflower meals is glutamic acid (3.19–3.89% of dry matter), while lysine and methionine are the least abundant. Cellulose and hemicellulose are the most representative fibers (28.16–31.35% and 21.04–21.68% of dry matter, respectively). The main carbohydrate is xylose, whose content varies between 10.56–14.31% of dry matter. The results also show that the studied safflower meals constitute a good source of potassium (6.32–9.51 g kg−1 of dry matter), phosphorus (2.35–4.60 g kg−1), magnesium (2.25–4.25 g kg−1) and calcium (1.53–1.72 g kg−1). Amongst the identified microelements, iron is the major element in all the analyzed samples (53–125 mg kg−1). Moreover, the majority of the studied analytical parameters were strongly influenced by the cultivar factor (p

The purpose of this study is the evaluation of flavor profiles of monovarietal virgin olive oils (VOO) produced in the Oriental region of Morocco via the characterization of volatile compounds, using SPME-GC/MS technique, and the determination of total phenolic content (colorimetric method). The study concerns oils of three European olive cultivars (Arbosana, Arbequina and Koroneiki) which were recently introduced in Morocco under irrigated high-density plantation system. GC/MS aroma profiles of analyzed VOOs showed the presence of 35 volatile compounds. The major compounds in such oils are C6 compounds produced from linoleic and linolenic acids via lipoxygenase pathway such as trans-2-hexenal, cis-2-hexenal, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, trans-3-hexen-1-ol, trans-3-hexen-1-ol acetate, hexanal and 1-hexanol in different proportions depending on the cultivar (p

The edible and tasty almond {Prunus amygdalus [syn. P. dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb]} kernel is not anymore the main reason for its production and uses, other properties related to its by-products, especially the sweet edible almond oil, which is mainly used as a salad dressing or as an ingredient in a highly appreciated Moroccan almond-based recipes. The studied almond populations are derived from seedling, the trees of these plantations are very heterogeneous in terms of vigor and flowering time and are facing a genetic bottleneck due to an attack by an insect ’bark beetle’, as well as the introduction of new foreigner cultivars. Our preliminary study concerns the evaluation of fruits quality of locally commercializedalmond ecotypes, with a shelling rate ranging from 22.37% to 34.21%and it comparison with the introducedFrench cultivars couple Ferragnes/Ferraduel (Fg/Fd) grown in the same region, that presents higher commercial values but yet lowest nutritional traits compared to local populations.Since Beldi almonds showed higher total tochopherols content with avalue equal to 511.64 mg/kg, while for Fg/Fd cultivars it presents only 433.1 mg/kg. Hence the interest of a detailed study to prove both the genetic variability of local Beldi almond populations for the conservation of biodiversity, and also the biochemical propertiesof almond oils and cakes lead to post-harvest recovery of these products by increasing it commercial value in favour of local farmers and cooperatives.

The aim of this study is to compare two sheep farming practices (lamb farming with or without finishing period on concentrate), on carcass characteristics, fatty acid profile and organoleptic quality of the meat. The study was performed on 24 Beni-Guil lambs. Finished animals (F) had access to creep feeding until weaning and were fed a mixed ration of barley and alfalfa hay during a finishing period of 45 days; however, nonfinished animals (NF) remained on the pasture. This comparison was carried out by analyzing the carcass characteristics, proximate composition and fatty acids profile of the meat. Ultimate pH and meat lightness were lower for F-lambs than NF-lambs who didn’t go through the finishing period. The concentrate-based finished practice produced carcasses with better fatness state and conformation. The intramuscular fat content is more important in finished-lambs’ meats (3.81 vs 1.82) which show more juiciness and a high meat’s color lightness. However, meats of NF-lambs presented a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA: 20.70 vs 16.82), particularly the PUFA n-3 (3.97 vs 1.17) and consequently a low n-6/n-3 ratio (3.92 vs 12.72). Finally, we recommend, finished lamb meats for the large-scale market and meat of pasture-raised lamb for the niche market.

This study concerns pomological characterization of four almond cultivars (Ferragnes, Ferraduel, Marcona and Fournat) introduced in eastern Morocco. The aim is to determine recommended cultivars for this region. Several nut and kernel pomological traits were determined, nut weight ranged between 2.65 g for Ferragnes and 4.41 g for Fournat, and kernel weight ranged between 0.73 g for Marcona and 1.38 g for Fournat. Volume of nuts and kernels ranged, respectively, between 4000.98 mm3 for Ferragnes to 846.09 mm3 for Marcona and 9667.20 mm3–1553.01 mm3 for Fournat. Finally, Ferragnes, Ferraduel and Fournat have kernel yields, reaching 33%, against 20–23% for Marcona which is the most sensitive to drought [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of the oil of four safflower varieties, originating from Spain (Rancho), India (Sharda) and Morocco (Cartamar and Cartafri), which were cultivated at the experimental station in Oujda (a semi-arid region of eastern Morocco) was evaluated through analysis of their phenolic and carotenoid contents. The composition of the phenolic compounds of safflower oil has not yet been documented. Therefore, in this preliminary study, Thirty different phenolic compounds were identified, and significant differences between the oil varieties were observed (P < 0.05). In the seed oil from the Rancho and Sharda safflower varieties, the main phenolic compound was trans-chalcone, representing 13.45% and 11.8%, respectively, of the total phenolics, whereas in Cartamar and Cartafri oils, naringin accounted for 26.82% and 16.5%, respectively, of the total phenolics. The total carotenoid contents ranged from 1.13 mg kg-1 (Rancho) to 1.34 mg kg-1 (Cartamar and Cartafri). We observed that β-cryptoxanthin (0.31-0.37 mg kg-1) and β-carotene (0.3-0.35 mg kg-1) were the predominant carotenoids in all of the safflower oils that were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the organoleptic and nutritional quality of four sheep meats produced in Morocco. This comparison was carried out by analyzing the proximate composition, amino acid profile, and mineral content of meat. The majority of the evaluated parameters were influenced by genetic and geographical factors ( p < 0.05). The longissimus lumborum muscle had higher a ∗ value in Timahdite and Ouled-Djellal breeds. The highest values of macroelement were recorded in samples of Beni-Guil meat sampled in the Tendrera region (BGT; 1067.3 mg/100 g), while the highest microelement content was registered in Timahdite meat (5.7 mg/100 g). Iron and zinc were the major identified trace elements, while phosphorus and potassium were the most abundant macroelements. The abundant amino acid was glutamic, while cysteine and methionine were least abundant. The higher essential amino acids index (IEAA) was recorded in the Timahdite sheep meat (162.20, 158.71, 161.02, and 159.65, respectively, for Timahdite, BGT, Ouled-Djellal breeds, and Beni-Guil meat sampled in Ain Beni Mathar region). From a nutritional point of view, the studied meats had a good protein and mineral quality, due to their richness in essential amino acids and microelements. The present study provided new insights on the organoleptic quality and the nutritional value of three Moroccan sheep meats reared in outdoor production system., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Kamal Belhaj et al.)