Physico-Chemical, Biochemical and Microbiological Phenomena of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Extract Used in the Preparation of Tassabount Date Juice in Morocco

Abstract

In the Moroccan oases, traditional preparations of dates, the fruits of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), are often associated with medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) which provide the properties of flavoring, preservation and medication (Harrak, 2007). For the traditional dates juice, Tassabount, its nutritional and organoleptic qualities and its therapeutic virtues come from both the date genotypes (cultivars and wild hybrids) and a multitude of MAPs used in its preparation (Harrak et al., 2009). Considering its promising applications, the Tassabount juice can get out of household manufacturing and consumption to emerge as a local product for a wider market. Such valorization requires a deep description and understanding of the different steps of the traditional juice processing.