Abstract
Date fruit is known to be the staple food in the Arab countries. It provides a lot of potential health benefits and can be the essential source of nutrients. The majority of Moroccan varieties are not characterized for their chemical, biochemical and quality properties. The aim of this work was to assess the chemical composition of 17 varieties of Moroccan date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and to determine their nutritive components. The analysis showed that the dates are rich in sugars (51.80-87.98%), they contain low concentration of proteins (1.09-2.80%) and lipids (0.16-0.39%). The predominant mineral is potassium (1055.26-1604.10 mg/100 g DW). Moreover, they contain high concentrations of malic acid (69.48-495.58 mg/100 g (DW)), oxalic acid (18.47-233.35 mg/100 g DW) and tartaric acid (115.70-484.168 mg/100 g DW). These results suggest that the date fruit are nutritious and can be an excellent source for human nutrition and health benefits.
Highlights
The date palm (Phoenix dactyliferea L.) is one of the oldest cultivated trees and the most popular in the hot arid regions (Saleh et al, 2011)
Organic acid quantification was achieved by comparison of retention times and UV-vis spectra with the standards
The organic acids data showed that tartaric acid, malic acid and oxalic acid were identified as the most predominant organic acids in all studied varieties and clones followed by acetic, fumaric, citric and maleic acids (Table 4)
Summary
The date palm (Phoenix dactyliferea L.) is one of the oldest cultivated trees and the most popular in the hot arid regions (Saleh et al, 2011). Dates are used and consumed during the month of Ramadan by Muslims all over the world to break their hunger (Umar et al, 2016). It is an important subsistence crop in dry and semi dry regions of the world due to its. The quality properties and valuation of a none studied dates fruit clones from southern Morocco (Zagora region) will be investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the compositional and nutritional profile of the Moroccan date varieties and clones in terms of the amounts of sugars, proteins, fats, minerals and organic acids
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