Background: Argan oil is one of the products used for antidiabetic purposes in Morocco.
Objective: This work aims to study the acute and subchronic effect treatment of the roasted (Roil) and unroasted (UnRoil) Argan oils on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and body weight in normal and diabetic rats, evaluate the effect of these oils on glucose absorption by the diaphragm and determine total polyphenol, flavonoids, tannins, chlorophyll and carotenoids amounts.
Methods: The anti-hyperglycemic effect of Roil and UnRoil was investigated in normal and alloxanediabetic rats by treating the animals orally with 2 mLKg-1/day of oils for 1 day (Acute treatment) and 4 weeks (Subchronic treatment). Then, OGTT was carried out at the end of each treatment, and the body weight was checked for each week. Besides, these oils (1 gL-1) were tested on glucose absorption by the diaphragm isolated from Wistar rats in vitro.
Results: This work shows that Roil and UnRoil significantly decrease the postprandial glycemic level in acute and subchronic treatments in normal and diabetic rats. Besides, the intake of these oils in diabetic rats significantly attenuates the postprandial glycemia compared to the acute-treated group. In vitro glucose uptake by the hemidiaphragm study shows that Argan oils promote glucose consumption by the muscles.
Conclusion: Argan oils showed a very important anti-hyperglycemic effect, which could be explained by promoting peripheral glucose uptake. UnRoil shows a better effect than Roil on glucose consumption, meaning that the roasting process influences the phytoconstituent responsible for this activity.
Keywords: Diabetes, Antihyperglycemic, Argania spinosa oil, peripheral glucose uptake, diaphragm, roasting process, in vitro.