Extraction of phytochemicals from date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds by enzymatic hydrolysis

Abstract

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) industry generates around 1 million tons of date seeds annually. These seeds contain dietary fibers, fatty acids, proteins, and other phytochemical compounds that, if extracted, could be utilized in food, medicine, cosmetics, and energy production. Extracting bioactive compounds from date seeds requires cell degradation to release the intracellular content. Enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) is a biochemical process used to release bioactive molecules stored in date seeds and subsequently produce valuable products. The aim of this review was to highlight the role of EH in the extraction of useful bioactive compounds from the date seeds. Specifically, extraction of the dietary fibers (sugars), proteins, and fatty acids (oils) from the date seeds and their subsequent conversion to bio-fuel (i.e., ethanol and diesel) are discussed in detail. This review may provide a useful reference for the users of date products. Novelty impact statement The seeds of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) contain dietary fiber, fatty acids, proteins, and other phytochemicals that, if extracted, could be used in food, medicine, cosmetics, and energy. The use of enzymatic hydrolysis to extract these bioactive compounds from the date seeds and the associated parameters and their optimization are discussed in this study.