Pharmacological evaluation of bitter apricot kernels oil: Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and wound-healing effects

Prunus armeniaca L. kernels are commonly regarded as agro-industrial by-products; however, they are largely used in traditional medicine. In this study, the in vivo pharmacological potential of bitter apricot kernel oil (BAKO) was systematically investigated.

The phytochemical profile of BAKO was characterized using GC-MS analysis. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, whereas total flavonoid content (TFC) was quantified using the aluminum chloride colorimetric assay. Then the pharmacological properties of the oil studied were tested in vivo based on the known experimental models, such as the anti-inflammatory activity that is measured by carrageenan-induced paw edema, analgesic activity assessed by using the acetic acid-induced writhing test, and wound-healing effectiveness assessed using a rat burn model.

The major fatty acids in the studied oil were oleic acid (62.5%) and linoleic acid (24.8%). The oil also exhibited a TPC of 88 ± 10 mg GAE/100 g and a TFC of 10 ± 1 mg QUE/100 g. In addition, the studied oil showed a significant analgesic effect with a protection rate of 45.07%. In the anti-inflammatory test, the sample greatly decreased the paw edema with an inhibition rate of 59.6%, 6 h after administration compared to the control. Further, the oil, when topically applied daily, significantly increased the healing of wounds and burns, meaning that the tissue healed faster.

The findings justify the potential of BAKO to be used in topical therapy and its valorization as a sustainable natural resource.