Erliana Novitasari (1116223)

Biochemistry of date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

The date fruits are rich of carbohydrates, minerals, proteins, dietary fibers and vitamins. There are five
different ripening stages of date fruits based on the Arabic practice which are globally accepted:
Hababouk, Kimri, Khalal, Rutab and Tamar. The Hababouk stage is an immature stage with pea size,
while the Kimri stage fruits have a green colour, quite hard and contain of 80% moisture and 50%
sugar (fructose and glucose). Generally in this stage, the pulp is bitter and unable to be consumed. In
the Khalal stage, the colour changes to greenish yellow, pink, yellow red or scarlet depending on the
variety. The fruit reaches the age of six weeks and physiologically mature but still has a hard texture
at this stage. The early peak of maturity of date fruits start in Rutab stage and the fruit texture
becomes soft. In this stage the fruit gradually loss of the astringency and the colour changes to brown
or black. In this stage, sucrose is converted to simple sugar and there is a gain in total sugars and
solids. The last stage is Tamar, when the date emerges dehydrated. The semi-dry and dry dates will
have about 50% respectively of sucrose and reducing sugars. The most commonly consumed is the
fruit pulp, which contains of phenolic acids, sterols, carotenoids, procyanidins, flavonoids, and
anthocyanins. Phenolic contents of the fruits is different, depend on the varieties. Algerian varieties of
date have been reported contain p-coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids, some cinnamic acid derivatives
and three different isomers of 5-o-caffeoyl shikimic acid. Omani dates have demonstrated the
presence of both and bound phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic acid,
vanillic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and o-coumaric acid) and free
phenolic acids such as protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, and ferulic acid. Sterol
contained in the date fruits consist of cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol,β-sitosterol and
isofucosterol. The dates have also been reported contain the carotenoids such as lutein,β-carotene and
neoxanthin. It has been identified 13 kinds of flavonoid glycosides of luteolin, quercetin and apigenin
in the Khalal stage of date fruits.Therapeutic properties which are contained in this fruit such as
antioxidant activity, antimutagenic activity, antiheamolityc activity, antiviral activity and antifungal
activity (Baliga et al., 2011).

Reference
Baliga, M. S., Baliga, B. R. V., Kandathil, S. M., Bhat, H. P. & Vayalil, P. K. (2011). A review of the
chemistry and pharmacology of the date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Food Research International
44. 1812-1822