Compositional and Sensory Characteristics of Three Native Sun-Dried Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Varieties Grown in Oman

Abstract

Three native sun-dried date varieties grown in Oman, namely, Fard, Khasab, and Khalas, were examined for their proximate composition, sugars, dietary fiber, minerals, and organic acids as well as sensory characteristics. The study was conducted on sun-dried dates due to their higher consumption compared with fresh dates. All results are expressed as mean value +/- standard deveiation (n = 3) on a fresh weight basis except for sensory analysis. Date varieties were found to be low in fat and protein, but rich in sugars, dietary fiber, and minerals. They were found to be a good source of energy (278-301 kcal/100 g), due to the high sugar content. Total sugar content ranged from 56.1 to 62.2 g/100 g, being lowest in Khasab and highest in Khalas. Total dietary fiber content of dates varied from 6.26 to 8.44 g/100 g, of which 84-94% was insoluble fiber. Twelve minerals were studied in dates, among which the major minerals were potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Date varieties were also found to be an excellent source of selenium (ranging from 0.36 to 0.53 mg/100 g). Six organic acids were positively identified, among which malic acid predominated in all varieties. Differences (p < 0.05) in the contents of dietary fiber, organic acids, and certain minerals were observed among the three date varieties examined. Descriptive sensory analysis showed that among the nine sensory attributes studied, only the attributes color and desirability were rated as being of significantly (p < 0.01) higher intensity in Fard than in Khasab, whereas flesh firmness was lower (p < 0.01). Thus, these results suggest that although all three dates serve as a good source of vital nutrients, the Khalas variety, which is considered as premium quality, had significantly higher contents of sugar and selenium and a significantly higher energy value than the other varieties studied.

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

“…17 The same quantity of potassium was obtained by Ahmed et al 18 in Iraq dates varieties. Our data confirmed the previous work of Al-Farsi et al 19 who, by analyzing the composition of three varieties of Oman dates, suggest the importance of potassium, magnesium, iron, and selenium in their antioxidant properties. The sodium content of palm fruit and sap was very low.…”

“…These findings are in line with previous studies who report that soft dates are rich in reducing sugars and low in sucrose. 22 Similar levels of total sugars were obtained by AlFarsi et al 19 by analyzing the composition of three varieties of Omani dates. Our results are also comparable with those of Ben-Cheikh 23 by studying the same variety as ours.…”

Proteomics of Important Food Crops in the Asia Oceania Region: Current Status and Future Perspectives

“…Also, new proteomics technologies and approaches such as the proteomic analyses of post-translational modifications 242 will significantly enhance our understanding of regulatory processes in plants. In addition, future studies will also afford new insight into palm defense mechanisms against such devastating pests as the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus 243 and may contribute to novel pest management strategies 244 . Finally, fruit proteomics 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 31 will not just further our understanding of the role and turnover of proteins and the regulation of pathways during fruit development; it will also support efforts to develop innovative practices for fruit quality improvements.…”

Review on the Management of Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier in Date Palm Phoenix dactylifera L

“…antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor, antiulcer and immuno-modulatory properties. The antioxidant activity of some date palm cultivars has been attributed to phenolic compounds (Vayalill 2002;Al-Farsi et al, 2005;Baloch et al, 2006;El-Hadrami and Al-Khayri 2012). The global date production has increased from just 1.8 million tons in 1962 to 7.5 million tons in 2013 (FAOSTAT 2013).…”