Antioxidant and Antimutagenic Properties of Aqueous Extract of Date Fruit (Phoenix dactyliferaL. Arecaceae)

Abstract

Fruits of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. Arecaceae) are very commonly consumed in many parts of the world and are a vital component of the diet in most of the Arabian countries. This preliminary study documents for the first time its antioxidant and antimutagenic properties in vitro. There was a dose-dependent inhibition of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals by an aqueous extract of date fruit. The amount of fresh extract required to scavenge 50% of superoxide radicals was equivalent to 0.8 mg/mL of date fruit in the riboflavin photoreduction method. An extract of 2.2 mg/mL of date fruit was needed for 50% hydroxyl-radical-scavenging activity in the deoxyribose degradation method. Concentrations of 1.5 and 4.0 mg/mL completely inhibited superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, respectively. Aqueous date extract was also found to inhibit significantly the lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation in a dose-dependent manner. In an Fe(2+)/ascorbate system, an extract of 1.9 mg/mL of date fruit was needed for 50% inhibition of lipid peroxides. In a time course inhibition study of lipid peroxide, at a 2.0 mg/mL concentration of date extract, there was a complete inhibition of TBARS formation in the early stages of the incubation period that increased during later stages of the incubation. Similarly, in the high Fe(2+)/ascorbate induction system a concentration of 2.3 mg/mL inhibited carbonyl formation measured by DNPH reaction by 50%. Moreover, a concentration of 4.0 mg/mL completely inhibited lipid peroxide and protein carbonyl formation. Date fruit extract also produced a dose-dependent inhibition of benzo(a)pyrene-induced mutagenecity on Salmonella tester strains TA-98 and TA-100 with metabolic activation. Extract from 3.6 mg/plate and 4.3 mg/plate was found required for 50% inhibition of His+ revertant formation in TA-98 and TA-100, respectively. These results indicate that antioxidant and antimutagenic activity in date fruit is quite potent and implicates the presence of compounds with potent free-radical-scavenging activity.

Safety methods for chlorpyrifos removal from date fruits and its relation with sugars, phenolics and antioxidant capacity of fruits

“…Soaking strawberry in salicylic acid at 2 mM was found to be effectively to increase total antioxidant potential, ascorbic acid content, total soluble solids and prevented fungal contaminations (Asghari and Aghdam 2010). It is established that the AC of dates was due mainly to the presence of water-soluble compounds with potent free radical-scavenging effects, including the phenolic compounds (mainly cinnamic acids) and flavonoids (flavones, flavonols and flavanones) (Wang et al 1996;Connor et al 2002;Vayalil 2002;Guo et al 2003;Mansouri et al 2005;Biglari et al 2008). Significant correlation between AC and TP content in date palm fruits has been established by many investigators (Allaith 2008;Biglari et al 2008).…”

Effects of Dates Pulp Extract and Palm Sap (Phoenix dactylifera L.) on Gastrointestinal Transit Activity in Healthy Rats

“…6 Dates fruit are a good source of sugars, fibers, and minerals, 7 exhibiting many beneficial health effects such as being antioxidant, 8 antimutagenic, 9 antibacterial, 10 antitumoral, 11 and antifungal. 12 Recently, Zangiabadi et al 13 demonstrated that dates fruit extract treatment was effective in preventing diabetic deterioration and in improving pathological parameters of diabetic neuropathy.…”

Effect of processing of dates into date juice concentrate and appraisal of its quality characteristics

“…Dates are rich in carbohydrates, tannins and minerals; they exhibit antioxidant, antimutagenic and freeradical-scavenging activity (Vayalil 2002). Dates from this region are generally harvested at immature stage due to the on set of monsoon.…”