Date fruit ( Phoenix dactylifera L.): An underutilized food seeking industrial valorization

TLDR

The date palm fruit is one of the world’s most abundant fruits, with hundreds of varieties rich in dietary fiber and phenolic antioxidants, and is widely available at the mature Tamr stage, offering potential for diverse food applications. The review aims to examine the chemistry and processing of date fruit pulp and seeds, emphasizing dietary fiber and antioxidants, and to encourage their incorporation as food ingredients in modern consumer markets. The authors review the chemistry and processing of date fruit pulp and seeds, focusing on dietary fiber and antioxidant content and their relevance to food processing. Date fruits contain 6.5–11.5 % total dietary fiber (84–94 % insoluble, 6–16 % soluble) and 1–2 % phenolic antioxidants, especially condensed tannins, while date seeds have ~15 % fiber, mainly water‑insoluble mannan.

Abstract

The fruit of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the most abundant fruits in the world. Hundreds of varieties having different texture, color, and flavor are available for valorization and adoption in food processing operations. Such utilization should be based on the fruit valuable characteristics; mainly its richness in dietary fiber and phenolic antioxidants. This review article complements these existing reviews by primarily addressing the chemistry and processing of date fruits pulp and seeds with particular emphasis on dietary fiber and antioxidants as linked to important fruit processing and utilization features. Date fruits contain 6.5–11.5% total dietary fibers (of which 84–94% insoluble and 6–16% soluble dietary fiber) and is very rich in phenolic antioxidants (1–2%) especially condensed tannin pigments based on (−)-epicatechin oligomers. Date seeds contain about 15% of fiber, characterized by a high level of water-insoluble mannan fibers. Date fruits are widely available in the global market, mainly at mature Tamr stage, but there is still room for improvement. It has been suggested that date fruits and seeds can be exploited in some food applications utilizing their high levels of fiber and antioxidants. The incorporation of date fruits and seeds as food ingredients is still growing with the aim to promote the presence of dates in the modern's consumer shopping basket.