The purpose of this study was to estimate the antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities of methanolic extracts of date palm fruits grown in Algeria. Four in vitro methods were employed to evaluate the antioxidant activity (AA), namely β‐carotene‐linoleic acid system, phosphomolybdenum method, 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and Ferric‐Reducing Antioxidant Power assay. The anti‐inflammatory activity was carried out using carrageenan‐induced edema model. The extracts were found to be a rich source of polyphenols, flavonoids and flavonols. The methanolic extract of Ali Ourached cultivar showed the highest AA for the four methods cited previously (76.85%, 90.25 μmol of ascorbic acid/g of extract, 206 µg/mL and 56.04 μmol Fe (II) ∕ 100 g DW, respectively). Anti‐inflammatory findings revealed noticeable reduction of paw volume ranging from 35.64 to 67.56% as a response to oral administration of 250 mg/kg dose of methanolic extracts. This study constitutes an endeavor for understanding the bioactive phytochemical variability in date palm fruit cultivars and corresponding antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities. Practical Applications In this study, the biological potentials of methanolic extracts of date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) were evaluated. The date cultivars could potentially be considered as a functional food and could be useful as a good source of natural antioxidant compounds with possible applications to reduce oxidative stress and treatment of chronic inflammatory pathologies. The results suggest that date palm fruits contain potent antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties that can find application in food science, food technology and nutrition.

Enrichment of food is a strategy to reduce the incidence of deficiencies in micronutrients in a population. Couscous is widely consumed in Algeria, thus the objective of this study was to obtain an enriched couscous with enhanced therapeutic potencies and with good physicochemical, technological, and microbiological characteristics. Three mass ratios of the traditional preparation Issoufer (10, 20, and 30 %) were added to wheat couscous, and then compared with a control couscous made 100 % of semolina. A significant (p < 0.05) increase was noticed in the ash, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anti-radical activity values, for all the mass ratios of Issoufer powder. In contrast, the moisture and pH-value revealed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in Issoufer powder. The acute toxicity study revealed no lethal effects and behavioural signs of toxicity at the tested doses (100, 250, 500, and 750 mg kg −1 ) of the extract of Issoufer during the 5 days of observation. The results of antibacterial activity showed diameters of inhibition zones had achieved 29.90±0.60 mm. Based on obtained results, Issoufer powder can be considered a good ingredient to develop functional couscous naturally enriched of secondary metabolites, and can be used in the prevention of several diseases, as well as used in the food industry.

The abusive use of antibiotics causes the destruction of intestinal flora and the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Date palm is used in traditional medicine in the Saharan regions due to its biological properties. The study aimed to identify the phytochemical composition and assess the antibacterial activity of the methanolic extracts of three date cultivars from Algeria. Their total phenolic, flavonoid, and flavonol contents were measured spectrophotometrically. The phytochemical screening was conducted by HPLC fingerprinting using twenty-three pure phenolic compounds as standards. The antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacterial species was assessed using the disk diffusion method. The colorimetric methods showed that the total phenolic, flavonoid, and flavonol contents ranged from 2.13 ± 0.09 to 2.67 ± 0.02 mg GAE/100 g DW, 1.33 ± 0.21 to 1.55 ± 0.13 mg CEQ/100 g DW, and 0.41 ± 0.23 to 0.47 ± 0.05 mg REQ/100 g DW, respectively. HPLC fingerprinting showed that the extracts of date cultivars served as an excellent source of bioactive compounds (gallic acid, tannic acid, ferulic acid, vanillin, caffeine, quercetin, luteolin, rutin, aspegenin, isorhamnetin, and hesperidin). They also exhibited an antibacterial potential with an inhibition zone diameter ranging from 8.40 to 12.50 mm. The results clearly demonstrate the antibacterial potency of date palm fruits, which could be attributed to their considerable content of phenolic compounds such as gallic acid, rutin, quercetin, and luteolin.