Phytochemical Characterization and Biological Activities of the Hydroethanolic Extract of Algerian Deglet Nour Date Seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

Abstract

Background and Objective: Date seeds, a by-product of the date fruit industry, are a valuable source of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites. This study aims to valorize Deglet Nour date seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by investigating their phytochemical composition and evaluating their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.
Date seed powder was extracted using a hydroethanolic solvent mixture consisting of 70% ethanol and 30% distilled water (v/v). The phytochemical composition was evaluated by determining the total polyphenol, total flavonoid, and total tannin contents. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay, expressed as the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀), and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Antimicrobial activity was also investigated against the selected microbial strains.
The results show the highest content of total polyphenols (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), and tannins were found in the extract, on the other hand, the highest antioxidant activities, scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals and reducing ferric ions were shown by the extract, on the other hand, the extract displayed inhibitory activity against both Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteriaand antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC compared to the other extracts from the literature. The results thus obtained are in favor of possible exploitation of these seeds in food products thanks to their nutritional and chemical composition, as well as potential benefits to human health, and their role as a functional food.
This study aims to highlight the potential of Deglet Nour date seeds as a source of natural bioactive compounds and to explore their possible applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.