Prunus amygdalus var. amara (bitter almond) seed oil: fatty acid composition, physicochemical parameters, enzyme inhibitory activity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential

Oil seeds are a natural source of phytochemicals with high nutritional value. The present study aims to evaluate for the frst
time the antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and anti-infammatory activities in vitro and in vivo, as well as the physicochemical
properties, fatty acid compositions, total polyphenol, favonoid, and tocopherol contents of Algerian Prunus amygdalus var.
amara cold-pressed oil. Bitter almond produces seeds that yield 35.5% of oil. It was characterized by a high saponifcation
index of 215.94 mg KOH g−1 of oil, a peroxide value of 7.74 meq O2kg of oil, a K232 of 2.612, and a K270 of 0.39. This oil
represented a valuable source of healthy fatty acids. GC–MS analysis revealed oleic (68.27%) and linoleic (16.14%) as the
main fatty acids. α-Tocopherol (85.77 mg/kg) was found to be the major component. The total phenolic and favonoid contents were 21.94±0.29 and 21.52±0.14 µg/mL, respectively. The oil showed good antioxidant activity (A0.50=34±0.44 μg/
mL) using the CUPRAC assay and modest activity with DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and β-carotene assays, respectively. BAO
(bitter almond oil) displayed the most promising α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities compared to acarbose as a reference molecule and moderate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. Moreover, BAO demonstrated in vitro and in
vivo anti-infammatory efcacy in a dose-dependent manner, comparable to that of diclofenac sodium. These efects were
confrmed by histological examinations. Overall, our results showed that BAO has a strong potential to design new industrial
preparations with nutritional, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical applications.