ABSTRACT
Date, the fruit of date palm, can be considered as an ideal food that provides a wide range of essential nutrients with many potential health beneŸts. Traditionally, dates have been considered as the staple food in the Arab Gulf regions (Erskine et al., 2004). The important quality criteria for consumers are the appearance including color, size and shape, physical condition and absence of defects, mouth feel or texture, ¨avor, and nutritional value (Wills et al., 1998). Dates are consumed in a variety of ways. They are mainly consumed as fresh (30%–40%) or in the dried form (60%– 70%) at Rutab (semiripe) and Tamar (fully ripe) stages with little or no processing (Al-Hooti et al., 1997). Dates are usually taken as such or with Arabian coffee, milk, or yoghurt. In the processed form, they are consumed as paste, syrup, pickles, jams, jellies, and are used in many bakery or confectionary products together with chocolate, coconut, honey, vinegar, and others (Khatchadourian et al., 1987; El-Shaarawy et al., 1986; Al-Hooti et al., 1997; Besbes et al., 2009). Masmoudi et al. (2010) reported that various types of jellies prepared from date fruit and lemon by-products had less
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 361 Religious SigniŸcance of Date Palms and Date Fruit .................................................................... 362 Chemical Composition and Nutritional Quality of Dates .............................................................. 363
Carbohydrates and Sugars .................................................................................................... 363 Dietary Fiber .........................................................................................................................364 Proteins and Lipids ...............................................................................................................364 Fatty Acid Contents of Date Flesh and Seeds ....................................................................... 365 Vitamin and Mineral Contents .............................................................................................. 365 Pigments and Antioxidants ...................................................................................................366 Carotenoids ...........................................................................................................................366 Phenolic Acids ...................................................................................................................... 367 Total Anthocyanins ............................................................................................................... 367
Medicinal Value of Date Fruit ........................................................................................................ 368 Antioxidant, Anti-in¨ammatory, Antimutagenic, and Anticancer Activities ........................ 368 Treatment of Abdominal Troubles ........................................................................................ 369 Antianalgesic, Antipyretic, and Protection against Colds, Sore Throat, and Fever .............. 369 Effects on Pregnancy, Lactation, and Reproductive System ................................................. 370 Nephroprotective and Hemolytic Activities .......................................................................... 370 Other Medicinal BeneŸts of Date Fruits ............................................................................... 370
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 371 References ...................................................................................................................................... 371
quantity of sugar, decreased pH, and resulted in signiŸcantly Ÿrmer jellies, with higher adhesiveness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and taste attributes and gave higher sensory evaluation. The average per capita daily consumption of dates varies in the Arab Gulf region. It has been estimated to be 164 and 114 g in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, respectively (MAF, 2005; Ismail et al., 2006). The average per capita consumption of fresh dates (68 g/day) in Bahrain appears to be lower as compared to other Gulf States (Allaith, 2008). This decline in date consumption, particularly among children and teenagers, is attributed to the changing dietary habits and lifestyle (Musaiger, 2009). The consumption of dates, however, reaches its peak in the Muslim’s holy month of fasting “Ramadan,” when dates are commonly taken to break the fast. Socioeconomic changes are, however, affecting the consumption of dates due to changes in eating habits, improvement in living standards, continued urban drift, as well as to the availability of a wide variety of other fruits all the year round. The consumption of dates by younger population is less as compared to the older population (Ismail et al., 2006).
