Abstract
Oxidative stress plays a key role in tissue damage during inflammation, highlighting the need for effective antioxidant interventions. This study investigates the antioxidant potential of argan oil (AO)-obtained from Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels almonds-in comparison with olive oil (OO), cactus seed oil (CSO), and colza oil (CO). Quantitative analyses of total polyphenols and pigments-including chlorophylls, carotenoids, and xanthophylls-were conducted alongside antioxidant capacity assessments via DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. The methanolic fraction consistently demonstrated the highest phenolic concentration and antioxidant efficacy across all oils. To establish in vivo relevance, a male C57BL/6J mouse model of acute oxidative stress was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. Pretreatment with oils significantly modulated key oxidative stress biomarkers-SOD, CAT, GPx activities, GSH levels, and lipid peroxidation (MDA)-in both heart and kidney. LPS challenge induced marked oxidative imbalance, notably increasing enzymatic activity and MDA levels, while depleting GSH in the heart and elevating it in the kidney. However, pretreatment with oils effectively restored redox homeostasis, with AO showing particularly potent effects and a stronger regulatory effect observed in the kidney. Hierarchical clustering of z-score-normalized heatmaps revealed distinct oxidative stress signatures, clearly separating LPS-treated heart and kidney tissues from other groups due to heightened oxidative markers. In contrast, oil-treated and oil-combined-with-LPS groups clustered closer to the control, underscoring the protective effect of oils against LPS-induced oxidative stress, with efficiency varying by oil type. Pearson correlation analysis, complemented by multivariate principal component analysis (PCA), further emphasized strong positive associations between antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx) and MDA levels, while GSH exhibited tissue-specific behavior-negatively correlated in the heart but positively in the kidney-highlighting divergent redox regulation between organs. Collectively, AO demonstrated robust cardioprotective and nephroprotective properties, supporting its potential as a natural dietary strategy against inflammation-induced oxidative stress.