Does Argan Oil Supplementation Affect Metabolic Parameters and Behavior in Wistar Rats?

Abstract

Argan oil is renowned for its particular biochemical profile: high-fat oleic and linoleic acids, tocopherols, sterols, polyphenols. This composition gives it nutritional, therapeutic and preventive properties against dermatological, metabolic and proliferative diseases. The composition of argan oil assigns its benefits to mental health; it would be provided with possible effects on the prevention and/or cure of stress related disorder. This work aims to evaluate the impact of argan oil dietary on the behavioral response, biochemical and hematological constants and histological profiles of adrenal involved in emotional responses to stress. The variation of these parameters was evaluated in Wistar rats receiving dietary 10 ml/Kg/day of argan oil, starting from weaning, for 13 weeks. Our results show that supplementation has resulted in an increase in locomotor activity, reduced sensitivity to frightening environments with sex dependent variation. Moreover, lipid markers, corticosterone and lymphocytes show a rising trend. If the important role of argan oil diet in cardio-metabolic health is generally well recognized; for mental health, it is the first study that needs further investigation linking between the nervous system, inflammation parameters and metabolism.