The extraction of phenolic compounds from defatted hempseeds was optimized using a simplex lattice mixture design with three solvents (water, methanol, and acetone). The response variables were total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity evaluated by different spectrophotometric tests. The results showed that the binary acetone-water mixture in equal proportions is the optimal combination to achieve the maximum TPC (53.65 mg GAE per g extract) with higher antioxidant activities (265.53, 36.25, 119.03, 69.46, and 68.91 mg TE g⁻¹ extract for the TAC, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC tests respectively). In addition, the phenolic profile analysis of defatted hemp seeds by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS² techniques showed the predominance of hydroxycinnamic acid amides and lignanamides. It allowed visualizing the effect of each solvent mixture on the relative extracted amount of each identified phenolic compound. This study suggests that N-trans-caffeoyltyramine, cannabisin A, and cannabisin B might contribute strongly to the potent antioxidant activity of hempseed extracts. Thus, it encourages the use of defatted hemp seeds as a source of antioxidants with added value for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.

This study aimed to compare the organoleptic and nutritional quality of four sheep meats produced in Morocco. This comparison was carried out by analyzing the proximate composition, amino acid profile, and mineral content of meat. The majority of the evaluated parameters were influenced by genetic and geographical factors ( ). The longissimus lumborum muscle had higher value in Timahdite and Ouled-Djellal breeds. The highest values of macroelement were recorded in samples of Beni-Guil meat sampled in the Tendrera region (BGT; 1067.3 mg/100 g), while the highest microelement content was registered in Timahdite meat (5.7 mg/100 g). Iron and zinc were the major identified trace elements, while phosphorus and potassium were the most abundant macroelements. The abundant amino acid was glutamic, while cysteine and methionine were least abundant. The higher essential amino acids index (IEAA) was recorded in the Timahdite sheep meat (162.20, 158.71, 161.02, and 159.65, respectively, for Timahdite, BGT, Ouled-Djellal breeds, and Beni-Guil meat sampled in Ain Beni Mathar region). From a nutritional point of view, the studied meats had a good protein and mineral quality, due to their richness in essential amino acids and microelements. The present study provided new insights on the organoleptic quality and the nutritional value of three Moroccan sheep meats reared in outdoor production system.

This study concerns the characterization of oil content and quality indices for almond cultivars (Marcona (Mr), Fournat (Fn), Ferragnes (Fg), and Ferraduel (Fd)) recently introduced into marginal agricultural areas in eastern Morocco. These verities are known for their rusticity and late flowering stage. The analyzed almond oils showed low acidity and peroxide values ranging, respectively, from 0.32 to 0.36 and 1.88 to 3.18meq O₂/kg. Fatty acid (FA) profile revealed a predominance of the unsaturated FA represented essentially by the oleic (56.6464.03) and linoleic FA (24.5729.80). Triacylglycerol (TAG) analysis allowed the determination of eleven species with a remarkable dominance of trioleylglycerol (OOO: 30) and dioleyllinoleoylglcerol (OOL: 27.25). Regarding the minor compounds, the results showed that the total phenol content ranges between 85.33 and 141.66mg/kg. Concerning the tocopherol content, the studied oils showed richness in these secondary metabolites (408.99491.77mg/kg) with a dominance of α-tocopherol. In comparison to their homologues in the Mediterranean area, the evaluated almond oils demonstrated a slight superiority in terms of quality, in particular, to those produced in Spain.

Roasting is widely applied in oil processing to improve the extraction yield and desired sensory characteristics. The current study is aimed at optimizing roasting conditions (time and temperature) of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds prior to seed pressing to improve the oil yield and antioxidant capacity, using response surface methodology based on central composite design (CCD). Hemp seeds were roasted at five temperatures (132, 140, 160, 180, and 188°C) and for five duration times (9, 15, 30, 45, and 51 min). Mathematical models have shown that roasting conditions significantly affected response variables ( ), including oil yield, total phenolic content (TPC), radical scavenging activity, and oxidative stability index (OSI). The CCD led to the following optimum roasting conditions: 163°C for 15 min, which improved the extraction yield by 45% and oxidative stability by 80%. Thus, the oil produced under these conditions showed a yield of 23.09%, TPC of 121.21 mg GAE kg^-1, and OSI of 21.37 hours. In addition, roasting hemp seeds under optimal conditions did not negatively influence the oil quality. Only chlorophylls, tocopherols, and palmitic acid slightly decreased ( ) after roasting (from 39.10 to 36.54 mg kg^-1, 483.06 to 469.77 mg kg^-1, and 7.65 to 7.29%, respectively). Furthermore, the concentrations of most volatile compounds identified in unroasted hemp seeds decreased after roasting under optimal conditions, with the formation of new compounds sought for their positive attributes, such as pyrazines and aldehydes derived from the Strecker degradation, responsible for the roasted, nutty, and almond odors. The main volatile compounds in raw and roasted hemp seeds were β-myrcene (3170.30 and 1177.69 ng g^-1, respectively) and D-limonene (1347.25 and 470.35 ng g^-1, respectively). The results obtained in this study could provide valuable information for the food industry to produce hemp seed oil with high nutritional quality that meets consumer demands.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how cannabis-derived nonindustrial hemp seed (HS) inclusion in laying hen diets, as well as treatment duration, affected the fatty acid (FA) profile, cholesterol level, and tocopherol composition of egg yolks. Ninety-six ( ) Lohmann Brown classic laying hens were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: control (standard diet) and HS-containing diets (10% HS, 20% HS, and 30% HS). The study was conducted for a period of 4 months. The findings demonstrated that the FA profile and the tocopherol composition are strongly impacted by the addition of HS to the diet of laying hens ( ), but the cholesterol content remained unaffected. The increase in the dose of cannabis incorporated into the hen’s diet (HS-30% group) led to a significant increase in the amounts of the polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3 and n-6 content of egg yolk. This enrichment was accompanied by a considerable decrease in the n-6/n-3 ratio ( ) from 8.19 to 4.88, on day 84 of the experiment. The total tocopherol content significantly increased ( ) from 281.44 (control) to 327.02 μg/g yolk (HS-30%) on day 84. Finally, in the context of warfare, these seeds might be used as a feed additive for laying hens to produce higher nutritive value eggs with affordable prices.

Two hundred eight sheep, belonging to two main breeds of eastern Morocco, “Beni-Guil” and “Ouled-Djellal,” were investigated for carcass traits and meat quality. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of breed and age at slaughter on carcass traits and meat quality. The animals were slaughtered at three age classes: milk teeth, animals with two adult teeth, and adult animals. Dressing percentage, carcass measurements, compactness indices, carcass shrinkage parameter, conformation scores, fatness state, fat consistency, fat and meat colour, and pH were measured 24 hours postmortem. The results showed that the dressing percentage, carcass measurements, and compactness indices increased with slaughter age ( ). Furthermore, the effect of breed was higher for Ouled-Djellal breed of carcass characteristics ( ). However, no significant effect was observed for carcass shrinkage parameter. The longissimus lumborum muscle was used to determine the meat colour, which ranged from 23.89 to 21.96, while the ultimate pH ranged from 5.70 to 5.82. These results were influenced by age at slaughter ( ) but not influenced by breed. Breed and age at slaughter had a significant influence on carcass traits ( ). The present study provided a new insight into the effect of breed and age at slaughter on carcass and meat traits of both “Beni-Guil-PGI” and Ouled-Djellal sheep breeds.