2.3. Argan oil extraction
Oil extraction was performed according to the AOAC method Am 2-93 (Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 1995). About 20 g of ground kernels were extracted for 8 h using a Soxhlet apparatus and n-hexane (150 mL) as extraction solvent. Hexane was then removed under vacuum. The obtained oil was stored at 4 °C under nitrogen atmosphere until further investigation. The extraction was performed in triplicate for each harvested sample.