Search

In this study, five types of dates imported from different countries, namely Iran, Medina, Tunisia, Jerusalem, and Baghdad, were selected to determine the antioxidant activity properties of dates. In addition, 10 pesticide residues used in date plants were analyzed and the effects of pesticide residues on recovery using were investigated. Antioxidant activities of the date extracts were determined by using DPPH and Folin- Ciocalteu phenol reagent assays. Pesticide residue studies were performed by using LC-MS-MS technique and recovery studies were carried out by using AOAC.2007.01 and 15662 Quechers methods Antioxidant activity and total phenol contents of date fruit were affected by location, genetic variability, environmental characteristics, maturation stages, and extraction methods. A lot of residual pesticides were determined in the extracts. It was determined that the Dioxacarb residue in the Medina date fruit was above the tolerance limit. According to AOAC 2007.01 Quechers method, the highest recovery of Chlorpyrifos Methylin was found as 57.069 in Medina date. In the study, it was determined that date extracts showed lower antioxidant activity compared to standard antioxidants. Many pesticide residues were detected in the pesticide analyzes made on dates, and some of them were found to be above the specified limits. It is of great importance that the pesticide residue amounts in foodstuffs are determined beforehand and not exceed the tolerance limits, both in terms of consumer health and in terms of not returning the exported food products. Within the scope of the study, pesticide residues commonly used in Date fruit were analyzed and determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inability to produce raw materials in sufficient quantities, such as fruits, plants, pigments and resins, to manufacture green inhibitors is considered one of the biggest reasons that hinder the commercial use of these eco-friendly inhibitors. In Asia and Africa, date fruit is produced in large quantities. This fruit contains polysaccharides (primarily galacturonic acid) that can be used as a green inhibitor. The inhibition effect of Ghars date extract (GDE) on the corrosion of API 5L X70 pipeline steel in 0.5 M HCl solution was studied for the first time using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization curves, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results show that GDE is an excellent inhibitor. The inhibition efficiency was 94 % at 2 g/L GDE. The GDE follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and involves physical adsorption. The GDE acts as a mixed-type inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date fruit is a highly important crop cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, known for its nutritional value and health benefits. Dates' benefits extend beyond their edible portion and include seeds, which are a by-product of different industries, often considered waste, and have untapped potential. This work aimed to optimize the extraction conditions of antioxidant compounds from date seeds and assess their ability to inhibit disease-related enzymes. The optimization was carried out by examining the main parameters, including solvent type (acetone, ethanol, methanol, and water), solvent concentration (25-100%), sample-to-solvent ratio (10-60/20 mg/ml), and extraction time (15-90 min). Phenolic content (PC) was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, while antioxidant activity was evaluated by ABTS and DPPH scavenging assays, as well as ferric reducing power (FRP). Based on the statistical analysis, 75% acetone, 10 mg/20 ml, and 45 min were found to be the best extraction conditions, manifesting a PC of 128.65 mg GAE/g dw, antiradical powers of 244.91 mg TE/g dw (ABTS) and 64.27 mg GAE/g dw (DPPH), and a FRP of 64.27 mg GAE/g dw. Moreover, the extract of date seed demonstrated a promising inhibitory property against some key enzymes such as tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase, and a-glucosidase, which may be considered a good candidate for managing diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The date is a well-established and important crop that holds economic significance. However, a substantial amount of waste in the form of low-grade dates and date pits is generated and accounts for 10 to 15% of the total production. Given the substantial amount of nutrients in these by-products and the large volume of waste generated, there is a promising opportunity to utilize them to create valuable commodities like fiber and phenolic compounds, which hold a high market value. This review presents a summary of the chemical and nutritional composition of dates and their by-products and aims to investigate the possibility of utilizing date processing by-products and waste as an eco-friendly resource for various chemical and biological processes like composting and extraction of value-added compounds, as well as providing insight into the date processing industry and typical methods employed for the beneficial use of date waste. In addition, this review also addresses the current challenges and future perspectives in date waste valorization expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of hot air drying (HD), vacuum drying (VD) and freeze drying (FD) processes on total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC), antioxidant capacity (AC), color and antibacterial properties and sensory evaluation of date plum (DP) fruit were determined. Total phenolic, total flavonoid and antioxidant capacity values of dried and fresh samples were determined as 13.86-7.45 mg GAE/g, 7.17- 4.09 mg CE/g and 86.60-54.98%, respectively. The highest inhibition levels against Bacillus cereus (24.50 mm) and Salmonella Typhimurium (24.67 mm), Yersinia enterocolitica (25.75 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (25.17 mm) were determined for HD and VD, respectively. In terms of sensory evaluation, FD drying was scored similarly to fresh samples (P>0.05). Overall, FD drying could be applied for longer preservation of DP fruits in terms of bioactive properties, color and sensory evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dates are an excellent source of polyphenols which makes them a valuable avenue for pharmacological properties. However, there are underutilized date fruits in Oman. In this study, four commonly grown Omani date cultivars, namely Barni, Fard, Khalas and Madloki at Tamar stages, were investigated for their total phenolic contents, phenolic and flavonoid compounds, vitamin C, ß-carotene, tannins and saponins. The acidic-aqueous and alcoholic extracts were obtained from the dried powder of date varieties. Total phenolic contents were determined spectrophotometrically by using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Phenolic acids, flavonoids, ß-carotene and vitamin C, were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Tannins and saponins were analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that there were differences among date cultivars in terms of total phenolic and flavonoids compounds. Madloki date powder exhibited the highest concentration of vitamin C and total phenolic compounds. Fard date powder had the highest concentration of flavonoid compounds, though it showed a lower concentration of ß-carotene. A comparatively higher concentration of quercetin was observed in Madloki dates. The study results provide evidence that the investigated Omani date fruits possess potential nutraceutical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date fruit is a beloved and widely consumed food in the Middle East and North Africa, and its popularity is growing globally. However, sorting these fruits can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, particularly when done manually. To address this challenge, we have proposed an innovative approach that uses multimodal data fusion and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to efficiently classify Algerian date fruit. Our process involves capturing four RGB images of the date fruit from various angles, a thermal image, and the weight of the fruit. We create a new image where the first channel consists of a grayscale image obtained by averaging the four RGB images of the fruit. The second channel contains the thermal image, and the third channel contains the normalized weight data. The new dataset is then divided into training, validation, and testing sets. We conducted experiments using four different models: VGG16, InceptionV3, ResNet50, and Basic CNN. Our findings show that the VGG16 model achieved the highest accuracy during training, validation, and testing, with scores of 99.6%, 90.4%, and 94%, respectively. The InceptionV3 model had the lowest accuracy, while the ResNet50 and Basic CNN models had similar performances. Our results indicate that the VGG16 model is the most suitable for classifying Algerian date fruit. Our proposed approach offers a promising solution to improve efficiency and accuracy, ultimately enhancing the quality of sorted fruit and increasing its market value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early pest detection in an agroecosystem is desired for efficient pest management. A proper sampling plan is thus required with adequate sampling units and a small sample size. The date palm mite, Oligonychus afrasiaticus, is a severe pest of date fruits and its early detection is most needed. The present research aimed to identify whether a certain bunch direction or strand position of date fruit bunches could help in the early detection of date palm mite. The research was conducted in two climatic regions of Saudi Arabia, on six date palm cultivars and during four fruiting seasons. The date palm mite population dynamics data were collected from four bunch directions and three strand positions. For early pest detection, the population estimation started from the first appearance of the mite on the fruit bunches in each season, continuing till the first 3 weeks. The results depicted a clumped distribution of date palm mite in all bunch directions and strand positions. There was no significant difference in the mean date palm mite population, neither among three-strand positions nor among the four bunch directions. The mean population over the weeks showed that date palm mite almost equally infested the fruit bunches from all four directions and increased with non-significant differences. It is suggested that the plant parts basally adjacent to fruit bunches should be focused on the early detection of date palm mite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a special issue editorial titled "Antibacterial Agents from Natural Sources." It highlights the importance of researching antibacterials derived from natural sources as a sustainable solution to bacterial infections. The editorial emphasizes that nature provides a rich reservoir of compounds with antibacterial properties, including plants, microorganisms, and marine organisms. These natural agents have the potential to combat bacterial growth with reduced toxicity and side effects compared to synthetic alternatives. The editorial introduces twelve scientific articles included in the special issue, each focusing on different natural sources and their antibacterial properties. The articles contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in this field and highlight the potential of natural products in developing innovative treatments for infectious diseases. The document concludes by acknowledging the authors and reviewers involved in the special issue and announcing a second edition currently open for submissions. [Extracted from the article]

Since ancient times, the inhabitants of dry areas have depended on the date palm (Phoenixdactylifera L.) as a staple food and means of economic security. For example, dates have been a staple diet for the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula and Sahara Desert in North Africa for millennia and the local culture is rich in knowledge and experience with the benefits of dates, suggesting that dates contain many substances essential for the human body. Madinah dates are considered one of the most important types of dates in the Arabian Peninsula, with Ajwa being one of the most famous types and grown only in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Date seeds are traditionally used for animal feed, seed oil production, cosmetics, and as a coffee substitute. Phytochemical compounds that have been detected in date fruits and date seeds include phenolic acids, carotenoids, and flavonoids. Phenolic acids are the most prevalent bioactive constituents that contribute to the antioxidant activity of date fruits. The bioactive properties of these phytochemicals are believed to promote human health by reducing the risk of diseases such as chronic inflammation. Ajwa dates especially are thought to have superior bioactivity properties. To investigate these claims, in this study, we compare the metabolic profiles of Ajwa with different types of dates collected from Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. We show by UHPLC-MS that date seeds contain several classes of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and amino acid derivatives, including citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, and hydroxyadipic acid. Additionally, GC–MS profiling showed that date seeds are richer in metabolite classes, such as hydrocinnamic acids (caffeic, ferulic and sinapic acids), than flesh samples. Deglet N fruit extract (minimum inhibitory concentration: 27 MIC/μM) and Sukkari fruit extract (IC50: 479 ± 0.58μg /mL) have higher levels of antibacterial and antioxidative activity than Ajwa fruits. However, the seed analysis showed that seed extracts have better bioactivity effects than fruit extracts. Specifically, Ajwa extract showed the best MIC and strongest ABTS radical-scavenging activity among examined seed extracts (minimum inhibitory concentration: 20 μM; IC50: 54 ± 3.61μg /mL). Our assays are a starting point for more advanced in vitro antibacterial models and investigation into the specific molecules that are responsible for the antioxidative and anti-bacterial activities of dates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date pits (DP) have been researched as a potential alternative source of fibre for food products, so the experiment was conducted to ascertain the rheological properties and physical characteristics of pan bread, after undergoing rheological analysis, blends of ground date pits and wheat flour2 and 4% DPPwere utilized to make bread. The results indicated that adding date pit powder had a detrimental impact on stability, development time and water absorption, the date seed powder's moisture, protein, carbohydrate, fat, ash and fibre contents were determined to be 7.66±.88192, 6.33±.33333, 51.68±.57735, 8±.57735 and 2±57735% respectively, DP was used in place of the wheat flour at 2 and 4%contraction, and the approximate composition of date seeds was ascertained, due to its high nutritious content, date seed powder can be utilized to create creative goods. Therefore, it is crucial for the date industry in the nations that produce dates to make use of this inexpensive agricultural by-product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the therapeutic potentials of Khudari fruit pulp, a functional food and cultivar of Phoenix dactylifera, against neurological disorders. Our results demonstrate a good amount of phytochemicals (total phenolic content: 17.77 ± 8.21 µg GA/mg extract) with a high antioxidant potential of aqueous extract (DPPH assay IC50 = 235.84 ± 11.65 µg/mL) and FRAP value: 331.81 ± 4.56 µmol. Furthermore, the aqueous extract showed the marked inhibition of cell-free acetylcholinesterase (electric eel) with an IC50 value of 48.25 ± 2.04 µg/mL, and an enzyme inhibition kinetics study revealed that it exhibits mixed inhibition. Thereafter, we listed the 18 best-matched phytochemical compounds present in aqueous extract through LC/MS analysis. The computational study revealed that five out of eighteen predicted compounds can cross the BBB and exert considerable aqueous solubility. where 2-{5-[(1E)-3-methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl]-1H-indol-3-yl}ethanol (MDIE) indicates an acceptable LD50. value. A molecular docking study exhibited that the compounds occupied the key residues of acetylcholinesterase with ΔG range between −6.91 and −9.49 kcal/mol, where MDIE has ∆G: −8.67 kcal/mol, which was better than that of tacrine, ∆G: −8.25 kcal/mol. Molecular dynamics analyses of 100 ns supported the stability of the protein–ligand complexes analyzed through RMSD, RMSF, Rg, and SASA parameters. TRP_84 and GLY_442 are the most critical hydrophobic contacts for the complex, although GLU_199 is important for H-bonds. Prime/MM-GBSA showed that the protein–ligand complex formed a stable confirmation. These findings suggest that the aqueous extract of Khudari fruit pulp has significant antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition potentials, and its compound, MDIE, forms stably with confirmation with the target protein, though this fruit of Khudari dates can be a better functional food for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Further investigations are needed to fully understand the therapeutic role of this plant-based compound via in vivo study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camel milk-based products have shown significant interest and remarkable growth in recent years. These products are valued as functional items due to their unique nutritional properties and potential health benefits. This study prepared fermented camel milk with the incorporation of unconventional ingredients, oat beverage and date palm fruit. Camel milk was mixed with 10% of Sukkari date paste with different concentrations of oat beverage (0, 25, 50, and 75%). The treatments were then fermented at 42 °C for roughly 3 h using ABT-5 starter culture. Multiple tests were then performed during the storage period to investigate the effects of oats supplementation on the characteristics of the prepared treatments. The results showed that the most favorable treatment was T2 (25% of oat beverage); it showed higher microbial activity by 2–7% compared to the control treatment, leading to a significant increase in total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. An increase in β-glucan content was also observed (0.05 g 100 g−1 DW), although more enhancements are suggested to reach at least 0.1 g 100 g−1 DW if considering β-glucan enrichment. Further, a significant increase in iron content was recorded in only T2 compared to other treatments; a decrease in phytic acid due to increased microbial activity in T2 is a possible explanation. Furthermore, T2 was the most liked treatment regarding taste, color, aroma, and texture. In conclusion, a 25% of oat beverage supplementation in fermented camel milk showed desirable effects and provided an innovative fermented camel milk. Investigating higher concentrations of more than 25% but less than 50% of oat beverages is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted in the Republic of Iraq, Anbar Governorate, during the 2019, to find out the effect of pollen the Ghanami Ahmar (C1), Ghanamy akhdar (C2), the samesmi (C3) and the Khikri adi (C4) pollen and the concentration (Cu, Zn, K, Fe and Na) in date palm fruits of the dominant varieties; Albarben (B1), Al tabarzl (B2) and Al- Khatibi (B3). the results of the study showed that the use of different types of pollen mentioned showed statistically significant differences (P≤0.05) in the concentration of some elements in the fruits of the studied date palm cultivars, as the results of the study showed a significant difference in the concentration of Cu element in the fruits of the date palm variety B2 fertilized with pollen different stallions an overlap of Cu concentration was also recorded, and there were significant differences in all the fruits of the studied date palm cultivars and pollinated with the pollen cultivars, the results of the overlap for the concentration of Zn element in the fruits of date palm cultivars inoculated with Stallion pollen C1,C2 and C3 showed that there were significant differences, as significant differences in the concentration of Zn in the fruits of date palm cultivars inoculated with the pollen of the studied stallions, The results showed that there were significant differences for the concentration of the element K in the fruits of the B2 variety and fertilized with the different pollen varieties used in the study and the overlap record for the concentration of K in the date palm fruits inoculated with pollen C1,C2 and C3 the presence of significant differences between the fruits of these cultivars, The results also showed that there were significant differences in the concentration of Fe for the fruits of palm B1, B2 and B3 inoculated with stallion pollen, and the overlap record for the concentration of Fe for the fruits of date palm cultivars inoculated with the mentioned stallion pollen significant differences, The results of the experiment showed that there were significant differences in the concentration of Na element in the fruits of date palm B2 and B3 inoculated with the pollen of the stallion, and the interaction record of the concentration of Na between the fruits of the varieties inoculated with pollen C1,C2,C3 and C4 there were significant differences, where the aim of the study was Determination of the concentration of minerals in the fruits of three cultivars of palms grown in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although chemical fertilization has been excessively used for a high yield of fruit trees, it causes many problems such as nitrate accumulation, soil deterioration, and food safety and quality decline; therefore, the dependency on the usage of biostimulants has become paramount when aiming to reduce the usage of chemical fertilizers, improve the fruit quality, and increase the shelf life of the fruits. The present experiment was conducted during the 2021–2022 seasons to study the effect of the foliar of yeast extract (YE), fulvic acid (FA), moringa leaf extract (MLE), seaweed extract (SWE), and nano-potassium (K NPs) alone or after combining each one of them individually with K NPs on the yield and fruit physical and chemical characteristics of date palm cv. Samani. The results show that the application of 0.2% YE + 0.02% K NPs led to the highest results in yield, bunch weight, fruit weight, flesh weight, fruit content from soluble solids, total and reduced sugars, VC, total chlorophyll, and carotene. Additionally, the results also demonstrate that the application of 0.4% SWE + 0.02% K NPs, 0.4% FA + 0.02% K NPs, and 6% MLE positively affected the previously mentioned measurements compared with the control or the other sprayed treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Egypt, the climate has a direct impact on the dried date fruit production. The traditional drying method or open sun drying (OSD) leads to pollution of the final product caused by sand-laden winds, rain, or animals and harmful insects, etc. This study is aimed at designing, implementing, and experimentally validating a solar dryer based on IoT technology and integrated with a PV system in Aswan, Egypt. The purpose of the dryer is to monitor and control the quality of the three most popular date fruit varieties and determine the most effective drying method, with an algorithm that operates the system automatically for optimal performance and high-quality products. The automatic solar dryer (ASD) significantly affects the final moisture content and color characteristics and reaches the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) at a faster rate for dried date samples compared to the OSD. The drying rate of ASD was 29.03% (Sakkoti), 31.04% (Malkabi), and 25.49% (Gondaila) higher than OSD. Also, the dried date fruit samples reached EMC on the ASD after 8 days for both Malkabi and Gondaila and 9 days for Sakkoti, while it took 14 to 15 days on OSD. The maximum open circuit voltage V oc , short circuit current I sc , and output power P output were 41.70 V, 8.84 A, and 365.09 W, respectively. All values of total color change ( Δ E ∗ ) after open-air drying of dry date varieties were higher than solar drying for both drying systems. This study can be then more helpful for producers of dried foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ghars date fruit is very rich in polysaccharides, which qualifies it to be exploited as a green corrosion inhibitor. Ghars date is produced in large commercial quantities in Africa and Asia, which gives them the opportunity to be used as a cheap raw material for the industry of eco‐friendly inhibitors. Objectives: The synergy between the Ghars date extract (GDE) and iodide ions is investigated for the first time to improve the inhibition efficiency for API 5 L X70 pipeline steel in 0.5 mol L−1 sulfuric acid. Methods: The synergistic effect of the GDE and iodide ions is studied by potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. Results: The inhibition efficiency is 45.5% at 2 g L−1 GDE at 20°C, while it increases to 97.9% when 5 × 10−4 mol L−1 of potassium iodide is added at 25°C. The GDE/iodide ion system follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, involves both physical adsorption and chemical adsorption and acts as a mixed‐type inhibitor. Conclusions: It is found that significant corrosion inhibition can be obtained in a synergistic manner between Ghars date extract and iodide ions for the API 5 L X70 pipeline steel in sulfuric acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snack bar is a ready-to-serve and nutrient-dense snack, making this product popular among people with a modern and practical lifestyle. The raw material for making snack bars in general is soy flour added with dried fruit. Along with the development of science and technology, efforts can be made to improve the quality and nutritional content of snack bar products. Tempe is a processed soybean product that has a higher nutritional content and quality than pure soybeans. Dates are one of the fruits that are abundantly available and have a complete nutritional composition. As an effort to improve the quality and nutritional content, research was conducted on the substitution of tempeh and the addition of dates in the manufacture of soy flourbased snack bars. Quantitative research using the experimental method using a completely randomized design (CRD), 3x2 factorial design resulted in 6 treatment formulas. Formula 4 with 30% tempeh substitution and 40% addition of dates became the best product based on the results of statistical analysis of product organoleptic assessment using a two-way ANOVA and DMRT follow-up test involving 50 panelists. The nutritional content test was carried out on formula 4 with the result that every 100 grams of product contained 19% protein and 4.62 mg of iron. The best snack bar formula per serving size of 15 g has a higher protein content than the three comparison products. Existing snack bars using soy flour as raw material are known to have a lower protein content compared to snack bars made from soybean flour substituted with tempeh. Likewise, the protein content in tempehbased snack bars in the previous study and the USDA peanutbased snack bars still had lower protein content. In this regard, the combination of soy flour and tempeh in the manufacture of snack bars can increase the protein content of the product. In addition, the iron content of snack bars in this study was higher than USDA product 1980811. This is related to the composition of one of the raw materials for its manufacture, namely dates, which are known to be rich in iron minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study is to determine the effects of root watering systems (RWS) with drip irrigation systems (DIS) and bubbler irrigation systems (BIS) on yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) quality under the different water regimes of 60, 80 and 100% of total water requirements (TWR). The experimental fieldwork was conducted during two successive seasons (2019/2020–2020/2021) in a farm at El-kharga Oasis, New Valley Governorate, Egypt. The evapotranspiration (ETo) was calculated based on the Penman–Monteith (P–M) equation from which the climatic data was retrieved from the El-kharga climatic station. The results showed that, the maximum productivity was 103 kg/tree in the second season under RWS at 100% of TWR, while, the minimum productivity was 62 kg/tree in the first season under BIS at 60% of TWR. Furthermore, the maximum WUE was 1.61 kg/m3 under RWS for 60%. The minimum WUE was 0.94 kg/m3 under BIS for 100%. The percentage of increase in WUE between the maximum and minimum values under three systems was 41.6%. The results indicated that the amounts of applied water markedly decreased in the order of RWS < DIS < BIS and increased productivity and WUE in the order of RWS > DIS > BIS. Fruit quality was significantly affected by the type of irrigation system, with the best quality obtained with the RWS followed by the DIS and then by the BIS. The RWS system, through its positive impact on water use efficiency and enhancement on fruit yield and fruit quality of date palm, seems quite suitable for the irrigation of palm trees in arid and semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phoenix pusilla (Arecaceae), commonly known as "small wild date palm", is regarded as one of the underutilized fruit crops in South India. Methanol extract of P. pusilla ripened fruits (PPRF) was analyzed for in vitro porcine pancreatic alpha‐amylase (PPAA) and rat small intestine alpha‐glucosidase (RIAG) inhibition activities, and through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis. The GC‐MS analysis showed the presence of 25 phytoconstituents from PPRF which was further assessed on the docking behavior of five targeted enzymes diabetes mellitus (DM) namely (i) human aldose reductase, (ii) protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, (iii) pancreatic alpha‐amylase, (iv) peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma, and (v) dipeptidyl peptidase IV by using the AutoDock Vina method. In addition to this physicochemical, bioactivity score, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analysis was performed using the Molinspiration and pkCSM free online servers. Methanolic extract of PPRF showed 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) at 69.86 and 72.60 μg/mL levels against PPAA and RIAG enzymes activities, respectively. Interestingly in the present study, GC‐MS analysis showed the presence of 25 phytoconstituents from PPRF. Physicochemical analysis of PPRF has exhibited that 13 ligands have complied well with Lipinski's Rule of Five (RoF). With regard to ADMET analysis, one ligand (9,12‐octadecadienoic acid [Z,Z]) has predicated to possess both the hepatotoxicity (HT) and skin sensitization (SS) effect. The docking studies showed that 1‐formyl‐2,5‐dimethoxy‐6,9,10‐trimethyl‐anthracene exhibited the maximum atomic contact energy (ACE) for all the five target enzymes of DM. Thus, the current study suggested that the methanolic extract of PPRF and its phytoconstituents could be considered as potent antidiabetic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date fruits can be found at the highest point of the palm tree, so harvesting can be a dangerous task for humans. In this study, a robotic arm is presented to harvest date fruits. A manipulator, traveling on a U‐shaped rail with four prismatic joints and one revolute joint, was designed and constructed to approach the fruits efficiently. The end‐effector of the manipulator was an electric chainsaw capable of cutting the date bunch. Two cameras were located on the manipulator in perpendicular directions to capture images, which were then transmitted to a decision‐making unit to control the speed of the manipulator links. The decision‐making unit included three fuzzy inference systems that used the location data of the fruit bunch stems and the area of tree leaves in the images to determine the speed of electromotors of the trolley, horizontal link, and vertical link. An artificial palm tree with dimensions similar to a real palm tree was constructed to evaluate the performance of the robot. The performance of the robot was evaluated in various lighting conditions. The results showed that the introduced image processing algorithm could adequately detect the stems of the date bunches with accuracy, precision, and recall of 0.88, 0.92, and 0.96, respectively, in suitable lighting, that is, when there was sufficient natural lighting. Moreover, the experimental results revealed that the accuracy of the control system in cutting the stems was 87%, with a production loss of 5%. The proposed robot makes it possible to improve the capacity of using mechanized harvesting in date palm fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being historically renowned as a significant date producer, both the Arab world and Iraq have experienced a noticeable decline in date palm production in recent years. This decrease in output can be attributed to the sluggish integration of advanced techniques that could enhance and maintain high-quality yields. In this regard, an experiment was conducted at the Al-Rabee station on date palm cultivar Khastawi under the randomized complete blocks design with three replications, to study the effect of four treatments of bagging: B0 - Without bagging, B1 - Rocklin, B2- Agryl and B3 - Paper bags and four bagging periods: T0 - 0, T1 - 40, T2 - 50 and T3 - 60 days, and their interactions on the fruits characteristics of date palm cv. Khastawi. The results showed that T1B3 treatment gave the highest values in fruit set (86.55%), while T3B2 treatment was superior in respect to fruit weight (7.260g), seed weight (0.6300g), fresh weight (6.630g) and fruit diameter (1.8533cm). The lowest values of fruit characteristics were recorded in the control treatment. Therefore, we recommend using bagging fruits to improve fruit set, bunch yield and fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage, anemia, and iron deficiency are important health problems. Using safe, cheap, and available methods to reduce the amount of hemorrhage after childbirth can be effective for the mother's health during this period. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of date fruit consumption on the amount of hemorrhage after natural childbirth. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 98 women referred to the maternity ward of Al-Zahra Hospital in Rasht using the available sampling method. The primary outcome was postpartum hemorrhage, measured using the Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart (PBLAC). Two hours after delivery, 100 g of date fruits were given to the intervention group, and the amount of hemorrhage was recorded during the first 24 h. Comparison between the two groups was done with the Mann–Whitney test with the Hodges–Lehmann estimator and corresponding exact conditional nonparametric confidence interval (CI) as effect estimate. A P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The median of postpartum hemorrhage after normal delivery in the date and control groups was 35.0 [interquartile range (IQR): 22.0 to 39.8] and 39.0 [IQR: 27.5 to 64.5], respectively. Using the Hodges–Lehmann estimator, on average, the median postpartum hemorrhage in the date group was 9.0 (95% CI: 2.00–18.0) units lower than the control group (P = 0.009). Conclusion: Consumption of dates effectively reduces the amount of hemorrhage after natural childbirth; thus, consuming this fruit during postpartum period is recommended. Also to confirm the findings, it is recommended to conduct similar studies in this field. Trial registration: This trial was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials; https://www.irct.ir/trial/59197 (IRCT20210607051505N2) on 31/10/2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh dates have a limited shelf life and are susceptible to spoilage, which can lead to economic losses for producers and suppliers. The problem of accurate shelf life estimation for fresh dates is essential for various stakeholders involved in the production, supply, and consumption of dates. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is one of the essential methods that improves the quality and increases the shelf life of fresh dates by reducing the rate of ripening. Therefore, this study aims to apply fast and cost-effective non-destructive techniques based on machine learning (ML) to predict and estimate the shelf life of stored fresh date fruits under different conditions. Predicting and estimating the shelf life of stored date fruits is essential for scheduling them for consumption at the right time in the supply chain to benefit from the nutritional advantages of fresh dates. The study observed the physicochemical attributes of fresh date fruits, including moisture content, total soluble solids, sugar content, tannin content, pH, and firmness, during storage in a vacuum and MAP at 5 and 24 °C every 7 days to determine the shelf life using a non-destructive approach. TinyML-compatible regression models were employed to predict the stages of fruit development during the storage period. The decrease in the shelf life of the fruits begins when they transition from the Khalal stage to the Rutab stage, and the shelf life ends when they start to spoil or ripen to the Tamr stage. Low-cost Visible–Near–Infrared (VisNIR) spectral sensors (AS7265x—multi-spectral) were used to capture the internal physicochemical attributes of the fresh fruit. Regression models were employed for shelf life estimation. The findings indicated that vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging with 20% CO2 and N balance efficiently increased the shelf life of the stored fresh fruit to 53 days and 44 days, respectively, when maintained at 5 °C. However, the shelf life decreased to 44 and 23 days when the vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging with 20% CO2 and N balance were maintained at room temperature (24 °C). Edge Impulse supports the training and deployment of models on low-cost microcontrollers, which can be used to predict real-time estimations of the shelf life of fresh dates using TinyML sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the attributes of date palm fruits that influence consumer purchasing decisions and measures the attributes' relative importance weights for understanding consumption patterns relative to the cultivation areas. A case study was conducted for a selected date fruit, Khalas, which is cultivated in Saudi Arabia and ranked first in the world in exported dates. Our empirical investigation is based on utilizing a proposed quantitative analysis that integrated the entropy weighting method and binary logit models. With this survey design, 486 questionnaires were collected. Analysis results revealed a ranking list of preferred attributes, with size, mellowness, price, and color being the most valued. However, this ranking list fluctuates when different cultivated types of Khalas dates are available. The results also showed that consumption patterns may change in terms of preference index and shopping location. The paper concludes with a discussion of managerial implications, limitations, and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary varieties of date fruits are often discarded because they do not have commercial value. However, their phytochemicals are very similar to those of the primary ones and therefore, they can be valorized as a source of compounds of interest, mainly phenols and dietary fiber. Their chemical composition changes with ripening, so their characterization throughout this process is of great significance. Date fruit samples were harvested at Khalal, Rutab, and Tamer stages, and a mixture of fruits from ornamental date trees was also analyzed. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts were studied for their phenolic composition. In aqueous extracts, phenols decreased with ripening, while in the ethanolic ones having higher phenolic content. Chelidonic acid, a γ-pyrone, was the major compound found in all extracts, but in the ethanolic ones, flavonoids were also present in similar amounts. After purification by adsorption chromatography, all extracts were assayed for their antimicrobial activity. Those from the Tamer stage showed the highest activity, especially against Gram-positive bacteria. The fibrous residues after aqueous and ethanolic extractions were also characterized. Their chemical composition suggested that they can be considered as a good source of prebiotic arabinoxylans and antioxidant fiber, whose antiradical activity correlated with their phenolic content. Date fruits from secondary varieties are promising as a worthwhile starting point for obtaining new value-added products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducted in 2020-2021 sought to determine the impact of NPK fertilizer with three levels (F0: 0, F1: 900 g, F2: 1300 g) and three levels of pruning at the ratio of P1: 5, P2: 7, and P3: 9 leaves/bunch, to improve the fruit and quality of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cv. "Khastawi," held at the Al-Zahfaraniah Palm Station, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq. Executing the study as a factorial experiment (3 × 3) within a randomized complete block design (RCBD) had three replications. Every two date palms as an experimental unit setup came from 54 trees aged 16 years and, as much as possible, homogeneous in growth characteristics. The experimental results showed that NPK fertilization at the F2 level was superior in all studied traits, including fruit set, weight, width, length, volume, seed and bunch weights, and total yield. The pruning treatment (P3) was significantly superior by giving the highest fruit set, width, and length values, whereas F0 and P2 treatments gave the lowest average for these traits. Furthermore, the interaction of F2P3 provided the highest rates in fruit weight, length, volume, seed, and bunch weights, and total yield, while the F0P1 treatment gave the lowest values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dates are recognized as a rich source of nutrients, so they are considered a complementary food element positioning them as functional food for athletes. Energy balls are nutritious snack foods that people, individuals and athletes enjoy. They are a source of natural sugars, fibers and proteins that are nutritionally balanced. Food supplements consist of protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Objective: enrichment some food products, especially energy-rich balls for athletes that made from dates as a main component for it. Materials and Methods: Date fruits from five cultivars (Dekel Nour, Barhi, zahdi, khlas, sukari) were collected from the orchards of Baghdad Governorate. The fruits were cleaned and dried in an oven at a temperature of 45 ℃ until dryn, then the fruits were ground by means of a grinder. The ground forms were kept in sealed glass containers at a laboratory temperature of 20-25 ℃ until use. Results: Variability in contents was observed across the different cultivars, with the highest percentage of total sugars, amounting to 86.70%, being recorded in Barhi dates. Conversely, the lowest sugar percentage was found in date meat, measuring at 69.20%. The fruits recorded the highest moisture percentage with a value of 30.01%. The mineral composition showed that P was the predominant mineral, followed in descending order by Mg, Ca, and proteins. The protein content ranged from 2.14 to 3.20%, while crude fat ranged from (0.15 - 0.44) %. Moisture content in date varieties with early ripening time was between low and high values of 10% to 30%. The comprehensive nutritional profile encompassed minerals and numerous vitamins, most notably B vitamins. Carbohydrates constitute 70% of the date's composition, including fructose and glucose. Additionally, dates are rich in calcium, magnesium, selenium, copper, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, sulfur, cobalt, fluorine, andmanganese. Lately, interest in dates has increased because of their health importance, catalyzing the development of food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing global nutritional bar market, developing and formulating innovative high-energy and protein bars to compensate for nutrients using date fruits is beneficial for health-conscious individuals. The current research was undertaken to study the composition and physicochemical characteristics of innovative high-energy and high-protein bars using two combinations of Sukkari dates or fruit mixtures as a base. Fifty percent of either Sukkari date paste or dried fruit mixture (25% raisin, 12.5% fig, and 12.5% apricot) combined with other different ingredients was used to produce a date-based bar (DBB) or fruit-based bar (FBB). Proximate composition, sugar content, amino and fatty acid profiles, minerals and vitamins, phytochemicals, antioxidant activity, and visual color parameters of the DBB and the FBB were determined and statistically compared. Proximate analysis revealed higher moisture and fat content in the FBB than the DBB, while ash and crude fiber were higher in the DBB than the FBB. The protein content in the DBB and the FBB was not statistically different. Both prepared bars exuded around 376–378 kcal 100 g−1 fresh weight. Sugar profile analysis of the DBB and the FBB showed dependable changes based on date or fruit content. Fructose, glucose, and maltose contents were higher in the FBB than in the DBB, while sucrose content was higher in the DBB than in the FBB. The DBB showed significantly higher content in Ca, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Se and significantly lower content in Mg, K, and Na than the FBB, with no variation in phosphorus content. The DBB and the FBB contained both essential (EAA) and non-essential (NEAA) amino acids. The DBB scored higher Lysine, Methionine, Histidine, Threonine, Phenylalanine, Isoleucine, and Cystine contents than the FBB, while the FBB scored only higher Leucine and Valine contents than the DBB. Seventeen saturated fatty acids were identified in the DBB and the FBB, with Palmitic acid (C16:0) as the predominant fatty acid. Oleic acid (C18:1n9c) was predominant among seven determined monounsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic fatty acid (C18:2n6c) was predominant among eight identified polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, α-Linolenic (C18:3n3) was detected in a considerable amount. However, in both the DBB and the FBB, the content and distribution of fatty acids were not remarkably changed. Regarding phytochemicals and bioactive compounds, the FBB was significantly higher in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids (TF), and total flavonols (TFL) contents and scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals than the DBB. The DBB and the FBB showed positive a* values, indicating a reddish color. The b* values were 27.81 and 28.54 for the DBB and the FBB, respectively. The DBB is affected by the lower L* value and higher browning index (BI) to make its color brownish. Sensory evaluation data showed that panelists significantly preferred the DBB over the FBB. In conclusion, processing and comparing these bars indicated that using Sukkari dates is a nutrient-dense, convenient, economical, and better sugar alternative that helps combat the calorie content. Thus, scaling up the use of dates instead of fruits in producing high-energy and protein bars commercially is highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality characteristics (physical, techno-functional, and chemical) of date fruits (at the tamar stage) of two cultivars ("Confitera", autochthonous and unknown vs. "Medjoul", widely distributed and well-known), grown in the Southeast of Spain (Elche palm grove) were evaluated in order to reinforce decisions aimed at organizing the production of fresh dates from Elche by selecting the most profitable cultivar. Morphologically, Confitera dates were longer and with higher pulp yield than Medjoul dates (4.58 cm vs. 3.88 cm, and 84% vs. 78%, respectively) (p < 0.05). Nutritionally, both dates are a good source of carbohydrates (total sugars (43–48%) and dietary fiber (20–22%)), with small amounts of fat and proteins. The main free sugars in dates from both cultivars were glucose and fructose (reducing sugars). The most abundant mineral found in both date fruits were K, followed by Ca or Mg (depending on the cultivar; Ca in Medjoul and Mg in Confitera). Confitera dates showed a higher total antioxidant activity than Medjoul, corresponding with their higher (p < 0.05) content in polyphenolic compounds, mainly flavonoids (catechin and epicatechin predominantly). Confitera dates should be promoted in this region not only for their contribution to sustainable agricultural development and biodiversity, but also for their higher overall quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Although changes in plant phenology are largely attributed to changes in climate, the roles of other factors such as genetic constraints, competition, and self‐compatibility are underexplored. Methods: We compiled >900 herbarium records spanning 117 years for all eight nominal species of the winter‐annual genus Leavenworthia (Brassicaceae). We used linear regression to determine the rate of phenological change across years and phenological sensitivity to climate. Using a variance partitioning analysis, we assessed the relative influence of climatic and nonclimatic factors (self‐compatibility, range overlap, latitude, and year) on Leavenworthia reproductive phenology. Results: Flowering advanced by ~2.0 days and fruiting by ~1.3 days per decade. For every 1°C increase in spring temperature, flowering advanced ~2.3 days and fruiting ~3.3 days. For every 100 mm decrease in spring precipitation, each advanced ~6–7 days. The best models explained 35.4% of flowering variance and 33.9% of fruiting. Spring precipitation accounted for 51.3% of explained variance in flowering date and 44.6% in fruiting. Mean spring temperature accounted for 10.6% and 19.3%, respectively. Year accounted for 16.6% of flowering variance and 5.4% of fruiting, and latitude for 2.3% and 15.1%, respectively. Nonclimatic variables combined accounted for <11% of the variance across phenophases. Conclusions: Spring precipitation and other climate‐related factors were dominant predictors of phenological variance. Our results emphasize the strong effect of precipitation on phenology, especially in the moisture‐limited habitats preferred by Leavenworthia. Among the many factors that determine phenology, climate is the dominant influence, indicating that the effects of climate change on phenology are expected to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Kirkuk University for Agricultural Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study was conducted in the Republic of Iraq, Anbar Governorate, during the 2019, to find out the effect of pollen the Ghanami Ahmar (C1), Ghanamy akhdar (C2), the samesmi (C3) and the Khikri adi (C4) pollen and the concentration (Cu, Zn, K, Fe and Na) in date palm fruits of the dominant varieties; Albarben (B1), Al tabarzl (B2) and Al- Khatibi (B3). the results of the study showed that the use of different types of pollen mentioned showed statistically significant differences (P≤0.05) in the concentration of some elements in the fruits of the studied date palm cultivars, as the results of the study showed a significant difference in the concentration of Cu element in the fruits of the date palm variety B2 fertilized with pollen different stallions an overlap of Cu concentration was also recorded, and there were significant differences in all the fruits of the studied date palm cultivars and pollinated with the pollen cultivars, the results of the overlap for the concentration of Zn element in the fruits of date palm cultivars inoculated with Stallion pollen C1,C2 and C3 showed that there were significant differences, as significant differences in the concentration of Zn in the fruits of date palm cultivars inoculated with the pollen of the studied stallions, The results showed that there were significant differences for the concentration of the element K in the fruits of the B2 variety and fertilized with the different pollen varieties used in the study and the overlap record for the concentration of K in the date palm fruits inoculated with pollen C1,C2 and C3 the presence of significant differences between the fruits of these cultivars, The results also showed that there were significant differences in the concentration of Fe for the fruits of palm B1, B2 and B3 inoculated with stallion pollen, and the overlap record for the concentration of Fe for the fruits of date palm cultivars inoculated with the mentioned stallion pollen significant differences, The results of the experiment showed that there were significant differences in the concentration of Na element in the fruits of date palm B2 and B3 inoculated with the pollen of the stallion, and the interaction record of the concentration of Na between the fruits of the varieties inoculated with pollen C1,C2,C3 and C4 there were significant differences, where the aim of the study was Determination of the concentration of minerals in the fruits of three cultivars of palms grown in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying the quality of dates after harvesting the crop plays a significant role in reducing waste from date fruit production. About one million tons of date fruit is produced annually in Saudi Arabia. Part of this production goes to local factories to be produced and packaged to be ready for use. Classifying and sorting edible dates from inedible dates is one of the first and most important stages in the production process in the date fruit industry. As this process is still performed manually in date production factories in Saudi Arabia, this may cause an increase in the waste of date fruit and reduce the efficiency of production. Therefore, in our paper, we propose a system to automate the classification of dates fruit production. The proposed system focuses on classifying the quality of date fruit at the postharvesting stage. By automating the process of classifying date fruit at this stage, we can increase the production efficiency, raise the classification accuracy, control the product quality, and perform data analysis within the industry. As a result, this increases the market competitiveness, reduces production costs, and increases the productivity. The system was developed based on convolutional neural network models. For the purpose of training the models, we constructed a new image dataset that contains two main classes that have images of date fruit with excellent surface quality and another class for date fruit with poor surface quality. The results show that the used model can classify date fruit based on their surface quality with an accuracy of 97%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dates are considered high energy nutritional fruits as they are packed with plenty of minerals, vitamins and sugars. Among various options available for processing and value addition, dry dates are one of the best possible alternatives to convert doka/khalal stage fruit into a high value product. However, the technology for their production is limited to a few traditional date growing countries and research is limited in the countries with expanding areas. Thus, the protocol for development of dry dates was standardised and the effect of different blanching intervals (5, 10 and 15 min) on the drying and quality parameters were studied. The rate of drying, dehydration ratio and rehydration ratio were found to increase with increasing hot water dipping durations while a 10 min hot water dip was found to be best for retaining the best sensory parameters of taste, colour/appearance and flavour. The total colour difference (ΔE) was also maximal (71.10) in the date fruits exposed to a 10 min dip treatment. The reducing sugars decreased and non-reducing sugars increased with increasing hot water dipping periods while there was no significant variation in the total sugar content of the treated dates. The tannins responsible for acrid taste were also reduced to a minimum (1.43%) compared to control (2.52%) fruits. Thus, the fruits of date cv. Medjool being bulky and fibrous with more dry matter content are well suited for dry date preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an environment where fruit production is increasingly affected by unpredictable weather patterns, it is important to look for ways to minimise the impact of climate change on production. Under Central European conditions, a limiting factor for apricot (P. armeniaca L.) growing in certain years is the occurrence of late spring frosts. One measure to eliminate their impact is to delay the actual flowering of the trees. This can be done by breeding or just by applying various plant growth regulators (PGRs). According to our results the varieties with a long dormancy period in the conditions of the Czech Republic are 'Velika Luka' (dormancy break 79 days from the beginning of December), then 'Bai Gon' with the same values, 'Chuang zhi hong' (dormancy break 73 days from the beginning of December) and hybrid form Lednice 'Pozdně kvetoucí', which had an average dormancy break 70 days from the beginning of December, even though in most years in field conditions it often blooms as one of the last genotypes. Next, we tested the effect of 6 active substances in 16 different concentrations on their ability to delay flowering. The results show that the application of Ethrel-based mixtures (concentrations of 0.05 and 0.5%) had the greatest influence, delaying flowering by up to 3--5 days, but also had the most destructive effect on tree health. The application of the commercial product Rhodofix (NAA-1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)--0.3%) and the application of a proprietary mixture based on NAA 1.0% did not have a very significant effect, with a delay in flowering of just 2 to 3 days. One interesting finding was that the application of the above products had a statistically significant effect on the ripening date of apricot fruit, with a difference of up to 4 days. Based on the results, the application of PGRs can affect the flowering time, but not in a completely fundamental way. Thus, protection against late spring frosts is therefore dependent on a combination of several approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits contain high concentrations of phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids and other micronutrients, which impact human health due to their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer characteristics. In the present study, the effect of ethyl acetate, hydroethanol, hydromethanol, and aqueous extract from three date palm varieties (i.e., Ajwa, Siwi, and Sukkari) on phytochemical profiles and antioxidant and anticancer activities was investigated. Fruit extracts were screened for their antioxidant activity using the DPPH· method. Phenolic constituents were quantified and identified using HPLC-DAD. Extracts (ethyl acetate, hydroethanol, and hydromethanol) were assessed for cytotoxicity on nine human cancer cell lines, i.e., MG-63, HCT116, MCF7, MDA-MB-231, HEPG2, HUH7, A549, H460, and HFB4, using the sulphorhodamine-B (SRB) assay. Results showed that the ethyl acetate extract of the Sukkari fruits has the greatest antioxidant potential with an IC50 value of 132.4 ± 0.3 μg·mL−1, while the aqueous extract of Ajwa date fruits exhibited the lowest antioxidant effect with an IC50 value of 867.1 ± 0.3 μg·mL−1. The extracts exhibited potent to moderate anticancer activities against the investigated cancer cell line in a source-dependent manner. Methanol extract of Siwi fruits exhibited the most potent anticancer activity (IC50 = 99 ± 1.6 µg·mL−1), followed by the same extract of Sukkari fruits with an IC50 value of 119 ± 3.5 µg·mL−1 against the cell line of human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231). Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) was investigated to determine the relationship among the investigated traits and treatments. Our findings reveal that date palm fruit-derived extracts are excellent sources of biologically active constituents and substantiate their potential use in new anticancer strategies from natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a comparison of the date fruits drying performance of two most simple and common type of solar dryers. A simple even span type forced convection greenhouse dryer (FCGHD) and a forced convection cabinet solar dryer (FCCSD) were developed and tested under the climate of Hisar, India. The average values of convective heat transfer coefficients (HTC) were calculated as 0.46 and 0.53 W m−2 °C−1 for FCGHD and FCCSD, respectively. The respective average evaporative HTC was evaluated as 64.58 and 276.06 W m−2 °C−1. The drying efficiency and specific energy consumption for date fruits drying under FCCSD were, respectively, 55.2% higher and 37.87% lower than that of FCGHD. Amongst seven considered thin layer drying models, Midilli–Kucuk model showed the highest commensuration to the experimentally evaluated drying data of moisture ratio for date fruits. Higher values of effective moisture diffusivity and lower values of activation energy were observed under FCCSD. The economic prospective of both the drying arrangements has also been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh date fruits (cvs. Hillawi and Khadrawi) were harvested at the khalal stage and treated with hot water treatment (HWT) for different time durations (control, HWT-1 min, HWT-3 min, HWT-5 min, and HWT-7 min) to investigate the physicochemical characteristics, phytochemical properties, and sensory attributes. The results revealed that both date cultivars took less time to reach the tamar stage in response to HWT-7 min compared to control. However, Hillawi date fruit showed a higher fruit ripening index (75%) at HWT-3 min, while Khadrawi fruit had a higher ripening index (80%) at HWT-5 min than untreated fruit (10%). Higher weight loss and lower moisture contents were observed in Hillawi (25%) and Khadrawi (20%) date fruit as the immersion period increased in both cultivars. Moreover, soluble solid content was higher in Hillawi (11.77° Brix) in response to HWT-3 min and Khadrawi (10.02° Brix) date fruit immersed in HWT-5 min in contrast with the control group, whereas significantly lower levels of titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content were observed in Hillawi (0.162%, 0.67 mg/100 g) and Khadrawi (0.206%, 0.73 mg/100 g) date fruit in response to HWT (HWT-1 min, HWT-3 min, HWT-5 min, and HWT-7 min) than untreated fruit. Furthermore, noticeably higher levels of reducing sugar (69.83%, 57.01%), total sugar (34.47%, 31.14%), glucose (36.84%, 29.42%), fructose (33.99%, 27.61%), and sucrose (3.16%, 1.33%) were found in hot water-treated Hillawi (immersed for 3-min) and Khadrawi (immersed for 5-min) date fruit, respectively. In addition, total phenolic content, total flavonoids, total antioxidants, and total tannins were substantially superior in date fruits subjected to HWT-3 min (in Hillawi, 128 mg GAE/100 g, 61.78%, 20.18 mg CEQ/100 g) and HWT-5 min (in Khadrawi, 139.43 mg GAE/100 g, 72.84%, and 18.48 mg CEQ/100 g) compared to control. Overall, sensory attributes were recorded to be higher in Hillawi and Khadrawi date fruit after treatment for 3 min and 5 min, respectively. Our findings suggest that HWT is a promising technique that can be adopted commercially to improve fruit ripening and preserved nutritional quality of dates after harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jujube is a nutritious fruit, and is high in vitamin C, fiber, phenolics, flavonoids, nucleotides, and organic acids. It is both an important food and a source of traditional medicine. Metabolomics can reveal metabolic differences between Ziziphus jujuba fruits from different jujube cultivars and growth sites. In the fall of 2022, mature fresh fruit of eleven cultivars from replicated trials at three sites in New Mexico—Leyendecker, Los Lunas, and Alcalde—were sampled from September to October for an untargeted metabolomics study. The 11 cultivars were Alcalde 1, Dongzao, Jinsi (JS), Jinkuiwang (JKW), Jixin, Kongfucui (KFC), Lang, Li, Maya, Shanxi Li, and Zaocuiwang (ZCW). Based on the LC–MS/MS analysis, there were 1315 compounds detected with amino acids and derivatives (20.15%) and flavonoids (15.44%) as dominant categories. The results reveal that the cultivar was the dominant factor in metabolite profiles, while the location was secondary. A pairwise comparison of cultivar metabolomes revealed that two pairs had fewer differential metabolites (i.e., Li/Shanxi Li and JS/JKW) than all the other pairs, highlighting that pairwise metabolic comparison can be applied for cultivar fingerprinting. Differential metabolite analysis also showed that half of drying cultivars have up-regulated lipid metabolites compared to fresh or multi-purpose fruit cultivars and that specialized metabolites vary significantly between cultivars from 35.3% (Dongzao/ZCW) to 56.7% (Jixin/KFC). An exemplary analyte matching sedative cyclopeptide alkaloid sanjoinine A was only detected in the Jinsi and Jinkuiwang cultivars. Overall, our metabolic analysis of the jujube cultivar's mature fruits provides the largest resource of jujube fruit metabolomes to date and will inform cultivar selection for nutritional and medicinal research and for fruit metabolic breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological conversion of date wastes under continuous conditions is a challenge due to their high content of biodegradable organic matter. In this study, hydrogen (H 2) and methane (CH 4) production in a two-stage process to increase the energy recovery from date pulp wastes (DPW) was investigated. In the first stage, the effect of increasing organic leading rate (OLR) on dark fermentation (DF) performances was evaluated in a semi continuously stirred tank reactors (SCSTR) without nutrients addition. The highest volumetric H 2 production rate (VHPR) and specific H 2 yield (SHY) of 0.76 L/L.d and 81 LH 2 /kg volatile solid (VS), respectively were achieved at high OLR of 11.74 gVS/L.d. In the second stage, the DF effluent was used as substrate to feed the SCSTR of anaerobic digestion (AD). The highest volumetric methane production rate (VMPR) of 2.92 L/L.d was achieved with a high OLR (4.25 gVS/L.d) and short hydraulic retention time (HRT, 8 days), producing specific methane yield (SMY) of 530 LCH 4 /kgVS. Thus, the two-stage process can be an effective strategy for high rate renewable energy recovery (13 kJ/gVS inlet) and organic waste processing. [Display omitted] • Two-stage hydrogen and methane production from date pulp wastes (DPW). • Increasing organic loading rate improved biogas production. • Optimum DPW loading rate was 11.74 gVS/L.d for H 2 production. • High CH 4 yield of 530 LCH 4 /kgVS was achieved at OLR of 4.25 gVS/L.d. • High rate bioenergy recovery (13 kJ/g VS inlet) from two stage process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effect of atmospheric cold plasma on some chemical characteristics of date fruits, Mazafati variety, in storage conditions, cold plasma was applied to the samples using a sliding rotary arc discharge device. The independent variables in this study were plasma application duration in 5 levels (30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 s) and different gases in 3 types (air, argon and oxygen). Then, some chemical properties including weight loss percentage, pH and acidity, total soluble solids, total phenolic compounds, and reducing sugar were measured. The experiments were conducted in the form of a factorial design based on complete randomized design. The results showed a significant decrease in the weight of the samples treated with plasma compared to the control samples, during the storage period. The effect of cold plasma on Mazafati date fruits showed a decrease in pH, and an increase in total soluble solids during the storage period. The average value of total phenolic compounds was the lowest value for the samples treated with oxygen gas (2182 mg/kg) and the highest value for the samples treated with argon gas (4007 mg/kg) with plasma treatment time of 240 s. The values of reducing sugar were 38.76 % at the lowest and 65.54 % at the highest amounts, for the control and the samples treated with air with a plasma treatment time of 240 s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The date palm is widely known as a richer nutritional source and natural medical agent. Date fruit is a major source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber, and it has contains proteins, minerals, vitamins, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, sterols, and triterpenoids. The beneficial potential of this fruit is well known in Arab countries and even in the world. Date fruit has many health benefits such as Glucose-lowering potential, anti-cancer activity, antioxidant activity, hypocholesterolemia-lowering potential, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity, bone stimulating activity, which is attributed to the existence of bioactive substances such as carotenoids, polyphenols, triterpenoids, flavonoids, sterols, and some vitamins and minerals. Overall, Arabian date palms’ nutritional values and pharmacological activities remain to be explained. Thus, this study states the history, nutritional and health effects of Arabian date palm, highlighting the possibility of palm date components developing novel beneficial approaches for managing the abovementioned illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of natural ingredients to preserve the quality of fresh fruits is a promising approach to healthier products and a more sustainable industry. The present study was carried out to assess the effect of lactic acid (LA) and guava leaf extract (GLE) as natural preservatives on the quality parameters of Khalal Barhi dates. Physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, color parameters, firmness, sensory properties, and yeast and mold counts of date fruits were evaluated during five weeks of storage at 4 ± 1 °C. The bioactive compounds in GLE were estimated by HPLC, which exhibited that GLE contains significant amounts of bioactive compounds, mainly, phenolics and flavonoids. With prolonged storage, the moisture content decreased, while the total soluble solids (TSS) increased in all samples. Similarly, a slight decrease in the pH with a concomitant increase in titratable acidity (TA) was observed throughout the storage. Generally, the samples treated with natural preservatives revealed lower changes in moisture content, TSS, pH, and TA than the control. The results exhibited decreased total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity for all samples with extended storage. The GLE and LA + GLE treatments significantly (p < 0.05) increased TPC and antioxidant activity on day 0 and preserved higher values of both during storage. Additionally, a decrease in the L* and b* values with an increase in the a* values of all samples was observed with advancement of storage. The LA + GLE treatment minimized the changes in color parameters and maintained higher firmness values during storage. Similarly, the sensory properties of all samples decreased with prolonged storage, but insignificant (p > 0.05) differences were found among the samples. Dipping treatments inhibited microbial growth over time, with the lowest yeast and mold counts achieved by the LA + GLE treatment. It can be concluded that the LA + GLE treatment has a protective effect on Khalal Barhi dates by minimizing post-harvest changes and decreasing the microbial load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Journal of Agricultural Sciences (SJAS) is the property of Beni Suef University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Applying energy supplements in gel form may circumvent gastric discomfort and thus it is a practical alternative. The main objective of this investigation was to develop date-based sports energy gels consisting of highly nutritious ingredients such as black seed (Nigella sativa L.) extract and honey. Three date cultivars (Sukkary, Medjool, and Safawi) were used and characterized for their physical and mechanical properties. The sports energy gels were prepared with addition of xanthan gum (0.5% w/w) as the gelling agent. The newly developed date-based sports energy gels were then analysed for proximate composition, pH level, colour, viscosity, and texture profile analysis (TPA). A sensory test was also conducted with 10 panellists who analysed the appearance, texture, odour, sweetness, and overall acceptability of the gel using a hedonic scale. The results showed that different types of date cultivars affect the physical and mechanical properties of the new developed gels. The outputs of the sensory evaluation revealed that the date-based sports energy gel prepared from Medjool received the highest mean score, followed closely by those prepared from Safawi and Sukkary, indicating that, overall, all three cultivars are acceptable to consumers, but the date-based sports energy gel prepared from Medjool is the most preferred one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dumping date fruit pomace (DFP) in landfills cause serious waste management issues. • Valorization of DFP is one of the strategies for sustainable waste management. • To implement valorization strategies, the composition of DFP is examined herein. • DFP is rich in total dietary fiber and soluble sugars. • DFP is also rich in nutritionally rich minerals and phenolic compounds. Date fruit pomace (DFP), an abundant byproduct of the date syrup industry, is currently underutilized. It is either fed to animals or landfilled where it ferments, causing serious environmental issues. Proper waste management through valorization strategies is required to reduce the environmental impact of date waste and foster the transition of the date processing industry towards sustainability. The implementation of valorization strategies requires characterizing the DFP composition. Herein, four DFP samples of Emirati varieties were characterized in terms of compositional and functional properties. The fresh DFPs contained moisture (∼60.0 g/100 g). On a dry matter basis, DFPs contained total dietary fiber (∼45.5 g/100 g), residual sugars (∼35.3 g/100 g), protein (∼10.6 g/100 g), ash (∼4.1 g/100 g), and fat (∼1.3 g/100 g). They were also rich in nutritionally important elements such as potassium (∼145.7 ppm), calcium (∼46 ppm), phosphorus (∼28.7 ppm), and magnesium (∼26.7 ppm). The total phenolic content varied from 170 to 260 mg gallic acid equivalents GAE/100 g, making DFP a good source of antioxidants. Scanning electron microscopy measurements revealed the presence of fibrous bundle-like structures, whose thermal stability was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis, showing the dominance of insoluble over soluble fiber. Higher water- and oil-holding capacities were found for dried desugared pomace. The high fiber, phenolic, and elemental content highlight the high nutritional value of DFP, which can be used as dietary supplement, while its sugar content can be used to produce value-added biochemicals via fermentation. Thus, DFP may represent a valuable bioresource for food and non-food applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]