Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Atlas pistachio) is one of the most widely distributed wild species of the genus. It is an Irano–Touranian species with a large geographic area that extends from the Canary Islands to Pamir Mountains. Since ancient times, atlas pistachio gum-like resin and fruits, very rich in essential oils (EOs) and fixed oils (FOs), respectively, were used in traditional medicine and included in different traditional cosmetics and health and beauty products. Since then, Atlas pistachio fixed oil is incorporated into several soaps, creams and shampoos to benefit from its medicinal properties. Atlas pistachio fixed oils, resin and leaf essential oils are constituted by several bioactive compounds such as monoterpenes with α-pinene and β-pinene in the resin, terpinen-4-ol, elemol, sesquiterpenes with D-germacrene and E-caryophyllene in the leaves and oxygenated monoterpenes (bornyl acetate) in the fruits. The unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic acid), sterols (β-sitostero) and tocopherols represented the principal compounds in fatty oil fruits. All these compounds exhibit great therapeutic and cosmetic virtues. Unlike lentisk oil uses in cosmetology, the cosmetic potentials of Atlas pistachio oils remain less valued. In the current review, we seek to highlight the characteristics and properties of Atlas pistachio oils in the prospects of the development of new and different cosmetic formulations as well as an innovative valuation of active ingredients and products inspired by indigenous knowledge and practices.

The aim of the present investigation was to obtain 12 aqueous extracts and 1 oil from Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. atlantica specimens. The samples differed for processed plant organs (i.e., roots, buds, and fruits), gender and geographical station of the collected trees. Total phenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins were determined, revealing that bud extracts exhibited the highest phenolic content (386.785 ± 16.227 mg GAE/g DM), followed by fruit and root preparations. Similar results were detected for flavonoids and tannins, whose quantitation ranged from 0.014 ± 0.005 to 74.780 ± 9.724 mg CE/g DM and from 0.037 ± 0.003 to 14.793 ± 0.821 mg CE/g DM, respectively. The biochemical profile of the extracts was further characterized by HPLC-DAD, in terms of specific phenolics. This analysis identified gallic acid as a typical metabolite for ripe fruit, while hydroxytyrosol for female roots and male buds. In parallel, P. atlantica fruit oil was profiled by GC-MS analysis, which detected 37 lipophilic components, including palmitic acid (the major component, ~55%), anacardol, tetradecanol, arachidic acid, squalene, and some terpenes. The samples revealed interesting antioxidant activity, with EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.073 ± 0.001 to 193.594 ± 28.942 mg/mL and from 0.029 ± 0.001 to 103.086 ± 20.540 mg/mL, in that order, for DPPH and reducing power assays. Concerning the total antioxidant capacity, the results ranged from 0.053 ± 0.008 to 51.648 ± 1.659 mg AAE/g DM. Finally, the antimicrobial potential of the plant extracts was estimated against 7 bacterial species and 2 fungal strains, known to be human pathogens, demonstrating a good antibiotic effect for the bud extracts. All these findings strongly suggest that P. atlantica would represent a natural reservoir for novel additives to be used in therapeutic, food, and cosmetic products.