Abstract
Argania spinosa (L.) plays an important role in the Moroccan agroeconomy, providing both employment and export revenue. Argan oil production generates different by-products with functionalities that are not yet investigated, in particular, the shell fruit. The present study aims, for the first time, at evaluating the acute and subacute toxicity, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of argan fruit shell ethanol extract (AFSEE). The LD50 of AFSEE was determined to be greater than the 5000 mg/kg body weight of mice. No significant variation in the body and organ weights was observed after 28 days of AFSEE treatment compared to that of the control group. Biochemical parameters and histopathological examination revealed no toxic effects of AFSEE. The AFSEE produced a significant inhibition of xylene-induced ear edema in mice. AFSEE reduced significantly the paw edema in mice after carrageenan injection. The chemical characterization showed that AFSEE contains a high level of total phenol content, flavonoids, condensed tannins, and flavanols. The obtained IC50 of DPPH, ABTS, reducing power, and β-carotene demonstrates that AFSEE has a potential antioxidant effect. The results indicate that AFSEE was safe and nontoxic to mice even at higher doses. Furthermore, the present findings demonstrate that AFSEE has potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.
Highlights
Medicinal plants have been used in folk medicine from ancient times due to their assumed acceptability, effectiveness, and low-cost free access for a large portion of the world’s population [1]
Data indicated that argan fruit shell ethanol extract (AFSEE) contains a high amount of polyphenols that is around 22:1 ± 0:87 mg gallic acid eq/g dw
Total flavonoids registered in AFSEE reached up to 9:9 ± 0:2 mg catechin eq/g dw, while the condensed tannin content was estimated to be 1:6 ± 0:08 mg catechin eq/g dw
Summary
Medicinal plants have been used in folk medicine from ancient times due to their assumed acceptability, effectiveness, and low-cost free access for a large portion of the world’s population [1]. Around 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional medicine to treat their diseases, in developing countries [2]. The consumption of natural herb formulations, used for thousands of years, has gained popularity in both developed and developing countries and widespread consideration as safer than chemical drugs for human health [3]. These natural products lack scientific data on their efficacy and safety and could subsequently lead to serious users’ health damage due to their chemical complexity [4]. In Moroccan folk medicine, almost all the parts of A. spinosa are used for treating
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