The health values of Phoenix dactylifera (dates): A review

Abstract

Dates are one of the most prominent types of fruits spread in the Middle East and North Africa and have been an essential part of thediet of the Arab world since ancient times. It has been called “nature’s candy” due to its sweet taste, which is attributed to its high sugarcontent. Date fruits have great nutritional and therapeutic value, due to the variety of elements they contain, as they contain a goodpercentage of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, especially magnesium, potassium, selenium, calcium salts, and fatty acids (lauric, linoleic,palmitic, and citric acid) as well as an excellent source of antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols, and carotenoids) which offer significanthealth-promoting and disease-fighting benefits. In this review, the origin of the date palm fruits was studied, and the nutritional valuewas compared between three types of dates (Ruthana, Sukari, Ajwa) in terms of the nutritional components and the therapeutic values,which is proven by several studies. The nutritional content of date fruits; sugars, beneficial fats, nutritious proteins, and phytochemicalswas reviewed. The health benefits of date fruits include their ability to inhibit free radicals, anti-inflammatory activity, cytotoxicity oncancer cell lines, and the applications for its use as a functional food were indicated. The exact mechanisms still need further researchand exploration, specifically, Ruthana fruits as this type of available literature showed a research gap that could be investigated

An Overview of Date (Phoenix dactylifera) Fruits as an Important Global Food Resource

“…In developing countries, infectious diseases have a significant contribution to health issues [79]. Numerous plant species are good sources of antimicrobials, and a substantial number of plants have been shown to have physiological and therapeutical values [80].…”

Current insights into date by-product valorization for sustainable food industries and technology

“…Scientic evaluations have identied biomacromolecules in date fruits that contribute to human health, addressing infectious and degenerative diseases such as cancer, gastric disorders, and hypercholesterolemia. 5 The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), a dioecious monocotyledonous tree belonging to the family Arecaceae and the subfamily Coryphoideae, encompasses approximately 200 genera and over 2500 species. 6 Cultivated since ancient times, date palms have played pivotal roles in medicine, socioeconomics, ornamentation, environmental sustainability, and nutrition.…”

“…The MENA region, characterized by hot and dry climates, remains a major producer, accounting for 67% of total date exports and 75% of global date production, with India being the top consumer of date fruits. 5,[23][24][25][26] In 2020, global date palm cultivation covered about 1.3 million hectares, producing approximately 9.5 million tons of date fruits. 25 Asia reported the largest cultivated area at 62.43%, followed by Africa at 36.72%, while America and Europe each accounted for less than 1%.…”

“…Scientific evaluations have identified biomacromolecules in date fruits that contribute to human health, addressing infectious and degenerative diseases such as cancer, gastric disorders, and hypercholesterolemia. 5…”

Impact of Modified Atmosphere Packaging Conditions on Quality of Dates: Experimental Study and Predictive Analysis Using Artificial Neural Networks

“…The fluorescence microscopic count indicated a clear increase in bifidobacterial growth within 24 h. The production of flavonoid aglycones (myricetin, luteolin, quercetin and apigenin) was also observed in less than an hour, due to bacterial metabolism. Dates also inhibit pathogens and raise the production of lactate and acetate, which contributes to the promotion of colon health [8]. In addition, the intake of flavonoids can also help to regulate the composition and function of the gut microbiota.…”