Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Widely Consumed Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Fruit Varieties in Algerian Oases

Abstract

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.

Phenolic composition profiling of Tunisian 10 varieties of common dates ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) at tamar stage using LC‐ESI‐MS and antioxidant activity

“…These results suggest that the methanolic extracts of date fruits contain the primary and power antioxidant compounds that can easily neutralize the free radical and ROS in lipid system. Our results confirm previous one from Haimoud et al (), who found that in seven Algerian date palm cvs, the AA assay by β ‐carotene‐linoleate model system varied from 49.85 ± 0.45 to 76.85% ± 0.66%.…”

“…These results showed that the date fruit had a similar level of AA obtained by the FRAP assay compared to those of date cvs grown in Morocco (Bouhlali et al, ). However, a recent study (Haimoud et al, ) with date palm fruits grown in Algeria reported that the FRAP assay values ranged between 18.95 to 61.09 µmol Fe (II)/100 g DW. Allaith () also detected that the AA using the FRAP assay, of Bahrain dates at Tamar stage ranged from 0.65 to 1.18 mmol Fe (II)/100 g DW.…”

“…These results were similar to those reported by Benmeddour et al () who found that the TFO of Algerian date cvs from Biskra Region ranged between 6.73 to 36.64 mg RE/100 g DW. In addition, Haimoud et al () reported that TFO of Algerian date fruits cvs ranged from 0.44 to 1.43 mg RE/100 g DW. The observed variation may be mainly due to the cvs and the extraction conditions.…”

Physicochemical characteristics, nutritional composition, and phytochemical profiles of nine Algerian date palm fruit (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) varieties

“…For instance, in the Ayurvedic text, DPF have been used to cure fever, asthma, and abdominal pains (Ateeq, Sunil, Varun, & Santosh, ). The previously reported pharmacological activities of P. dactylifera include antioxidant (Benmeddour, Mehinagic, Meurlay, & Louaileche, ; Zineb, Boukouada, Djeridane, Saidi, & Yousfi, ), antifungal (Belmir, Boucherit, Boucherit‐Otmani, & Belhachemi, ), antiviral (Jassim & Naji, ), and anti‐inflammatory activities (Haimoud, Allem, & Merouane, ; Kehili, Zerizer, Beladijila, & Kabouche, ). These published data were focusing on the health promoting attributes of the phytochemicals highlighting the potential of DPF as the promising alternatives to synthetic drugs.…”

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit as potential antioxidant and antimicrobial agents

“…In Algeria, where date palm ( P. dactylifera L.) fruits are widely consumed, Ali Haimoud et al . [18] used seven date fruit varieties (Tantebouchte, Biraya, Degla Baidha, Deglet Nour, Ali Ourached, Ghars, and Tansine) to test the antioxidant properties. The results showed that all varieties had high polyphenol, flavonoid, and flavonol contents, although the methanolic extract of Ali Ourached cultivar had the highest antioxidant activity.…”