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Argan Oil
Argan oil is a Vegetable fats and oils, plant oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree (''Argania spinosa'' L.), which is indigenous to Morocco and southwestern Algeria. In Morocco, argan oil is used to dip bread at breakfast or to drizzle on couscous or pasta. It is also used for cosmetic purposes. Properties Ninety-nine percent of argan oil consists of triglycerides and related derivatives. These are derived from the following fatty acids: Argan oil has a relative density at ranging from 0.906 to 0.919. Argan oil also contains traces of tocopherols (vitamin E), phenols, carotenes, squalene. Some trace phenols in argan oil include caffeic acid, oleuropein, vanillic acid, tyrosol, catechol, resorcinol, (−)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin. Depending on the extraction method, argan oil may be more resistant to oxidation than olive oil. Uses Culinary In Morocco, the oil is used for culinary purposes, e.g. dipping bread, as salad dressing or on couscous. Amlu, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maghreb
The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb also includes the territorial dispute, disputed territory of Western Sahara. As of 2018, the region had a population of over 100 million people. The Maghreb is usually defined as encompassing much of the northern part of Africa, including a large portion of the Sahara Desert, but excluding Egypt and the Sudan, which are considered to be located in the Mashriq — the eastern part of the Arab world. The traditional definition of the Maghreb — which restricted its scope to the Atlas Mountains and the coastal plains of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya — was expanded in modern times to include Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara. During the era of al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula (711–1492), the Maghreb's inhabita ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carotene
The term carotene (also carotin, from the Latin ''carota'', "carrot") is used for many related unsaturated hydrocarbon substances having the formula C40Hx, which are synthesized by plants but in general cannot be made by animals (with the exception of some aphids and spider mites which acquired the synthesizing genes from fungi). Carotenes are photosynthetic pigments important for photosynthesis. Carotenes contain no oxygen atoms. They absorb ultraviolet, violet, and blue light and scatter orange or red light, and yellow light(in low concentrations). Carotenes are responsible for the orange colour of the carrot, after which this class of chemicals is named, and for the colours of many other fruits, vegetables and fungi (for example, sweet potatoes, chanterelle and orange cantaloupe melon). Carotenes are also responsible for the orange (but not all of the yellow) colours in dry foliage. They also (in lower concentrations) impart the yellow coloration to milk-fat and butter. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural sources or created synthetically. Cosmetics have various purposes, including personal care, personal and skin care. They can also be used to conceal blemishes and enhance natural features (such as the eyebrows and eyelashes). Makeup can also add colour to a person's face, enhance a person's features or change the appearance of the face entirely to resemble a different person, creature, or object. People have used cosmetics for thousands of years for skin care and appearance enhancement. Visible cosmetics for both women and men have gone in and out of fashion over the centuries. Some early forms of cosmetics contained harmful ingredients such as lead that caused serious health problems and sometimes resulted in death. Modern commercial cosmetic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amlu
Amlu ( ; ), also spelled amlou, is a spread used in Moroccan cuisine. It consists of argan oil, almonds and honey. The almonds are toasted, which are then crushed and kneaded with honey and argan oil. Amlou is usually served for breakfast or afternoon tea with pancakes and pastries. Amlu is one of the multiple uses of Argan oil. In Shilha cuisine, argan oil plays the role usually held by olive oil in other parts of the Maghreb. See also * Cooking oil * List of almond dishes * List of spreads This is a list of spreads. A Spread (food), spread is a food that is literally spread, generally with a knife, onto food items such as bread or Cracker (food), crackers. Spreads are added to food to enhance the flavour or texture of the food, whic ... * References External links How to make Amlou* Spreads (food) Moroccan cuisine Berber culture {{confectionery-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a condiment, or as a salad dressing. It can also be found in some cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, soaps, and fuels for traditional oil lamps. It also has additional uses in some religions. The olive is one of three core food plants in Mediterranean cuisine, with wheat and grapes. Olive trees have been cultivated around the Mediterranean since the 8th millennium BC. In 2022, Spain was the world's largest producer, manufacturing 24% of the world's total. Other large producers were Italy, Greece, and Turkey, collectively accounting for 59% of the global market. The composition of olive oil varies with the cultivar, altitude, time of harvest, and extraction process. It consists mainly of oleic acid (up to 83%), with smaller amounts of other fatty acids ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxidation
Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a decrease in the oxidation state. The oxidation and reduction processes occur simultaneously in the chemical reaction. There are two classes of redox reactions: * Electron-transfer – Only one (usually) electron flows from the atom, ion, or molecule being oxidized to the atom, ion, or molecule that is reduced. This type of redox reaction is often discussed in terms of redox couples and electrode potentials. * Atom transfer – An atom transfers from one substrate to another. For example, in the rusting of iron, the oxidation state of iron atoms increases as the iron converts to an oxide, and simultaneously, the oxidation state of oxygen decreases as it accepts electrons released by the iron. Although oxidati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catechin
Catechin is a flavan-3-ol, a type of secondary metabolite providing antioxidant roles in plants. It belongs to the subgroup of polyphenols called flavonoids. The name of the catechin chemical family derives from ''catechu'', which is the tannic juice or boiled extract of ''Mimosa catechu'' (''Acacia catechu'' L.f.). Chemistry Catechin possesses two benzene rings (called the A and B rings) and a dihydropyran heterocycle (the C ring) with a hydroxyl group on carbon 3. The A ring is similar to a resorcinol moiety while the B ring is similar to a catechol moiety. There are two chirality (chemistry), chiral centers on the molecule on carbons 2 and 3. Therefore, it has four diastereoisomers. Two of the isomers are in trans configuration, ''trans'' configuration and are called ''catechin'' and the other two are in cis configuration, ''cis'' configuration and are called ''epicatechin''. The most common catechin isomer is (+)-catechin. The other stereoisomer is (−)-catechin or ''en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epicatechin
Catechin is a flavan-3-ol, a type of secondary metabolite providing antioxidant roles in plants. It belongs to the subgroup of polyphenols called flavonoids. The name of the catechin chemical family derives from '' catechu'', which is the tannic juice or boiled extract of ''Mimosa catechu'' ('' Acacia catechu'' L.f.). Chemistry Catechin possesses two benzene rings (called the A and B rings) and a dihydropyran heterocycle (the C ring) with a hydroxyl group on carbon 3. The A ring is similar to a resorcinol moiety while the B ring is similar to a catechol moiety. There are two chiral centers on the molecule on carbons 2 and 3. Therefore, it has four diastereoisomers. Two of the isomers are in ''trans'' configuration and are called ''catechin'' and the other two are in ''cis'' configuration and are called ''epicatechin''. The most common catechin isomer is (+)-catechin. The other stereoisomer is (−)-catechin or ''ent''-catechin. The most common epicatechin isomer is (− ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Resorcinol
Resorcinol (or resorcin) is a phenolic compound. It is an organic compound with the formula C6H4(OH)2. It is one of three isomeric benzenediols, the 1,3-isomer (or ''meta- (chemistry), meta''-isomer). Resorcinol crystallizes from benzene as colorless needles that are readily soluble in water, alcohol, and ether, but insoluble in chloroform and carbon disulfide. Production Resorcinol is produced in several steps from benzene, starting with dialkylation with propylene to give 1,3-Diisopropylbenzene, 1,3-diisopropylbenzene. Oxidation and Hock rearrangement of this disubstituted arene gives acetone and resorcinol. Resorcinol is a relatively inexpensive chemical. It is produced in only a very few locations around the world (as of 2010 only four commercial plants were known to be operative: in the United States, Germany, China, and Japan), and is the determining factor in the cost of Phenol formaldehyde resin, PRF adhesives. Production in the United States ended in 2017 with the cl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catechol
Catechol ( or ), also known as pyrocatechol or 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is the ''ortho'' isomer of the three isomeric benzenediols. This colorless compound occurs naturally in trace amounts. It was first discovered by destructive distillation of the plant extract catechin. About 20,000 tonnes of catechol are now synthetically produced annually as a commodity organic chemical, mainly as a precursor to pesticides, flavors, and fragrances. Small amounts of catechol occur in fruits and vegetables. Isolation and synthesis Catechol was first isolated in 1839 by Edgar Hugo Emil Reinsch (1809–1884) by distilling it from the solid tannic preparation catechin, which is the residuum of catechu, the boiled or concentrated juice of ''Mimosa catechu'' ('' Acacia catechu''). Upon heating catechin above its decomposition point, a substance that Reinsch first named ''Brenz-Katechusäure'' (burned catechu acid) sublimated as a white efflo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tyrosol
Tyrosol is an organic compound with the formula . Classified as a phenylethanoid, a derivative of phenethyl alcohol, it is found in a variety of natural sources. The compound is colorless solid. The principal source in the human diet is olive oil. Research As an antioxidant, tyrosol may protect cells against injury due to oxidation ''in vitro''. Although it is not as potent as other antioxidants present in olive oil (e.g., hydroxytyrosol), its higher concentration and good bioavailability indicate that it may have an important overall effect. Tyrosol may also be cardioprotective. Tyrosol-treated animals showed significant increase in the phosphorylation of Akt, eNOS, and FOXO3a. In addition, tyrosol also induced the expression of the protein SIRT1 in the heart after myocardial infarction (MI) in a rat MI model. Tyrosol forms esters with a variety of organic acids. For example, oleocanthal is the elenolic acid ester of tyrosol. See also * Tyrosinol, * Hydroxytyrosol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vanillic Acid
Vanillic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid) is a dihydroxybenzoic acid derivative used as a flavoring agent. It is an oxidized form of vanillin. It is also an intermediate in the production of vanillin from ferulic acid. Occurrence in nature The highest amount of vanillic acid in plants known so far is found in the root of '' Angelica sinensis'', an herb indigenous to China, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Occurrences in food Açaí oil, obtained from the fruit of the açaí palm ('' Euterpe oleracea''), is rich in vanillic acid (). It is one of the main natural phenols in argan oil. It is also found in wine and vinegar. Metabolism Vanillic acid is one of the main catechins metabolites found in humans after consumption of green tea Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves and buds of the '' Camellia sinensis'' that have not undergone the withering and oxidation process that creates oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
