TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgements         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of Contents   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v-vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction – –         –         –         –         –         –         –         1-4

1.2     Description of Date Fruit –         –         –         –         –         –         4-5

1.3     Distribution of Date Fruit –         –         –         –         –         –         5

CHAPTER TWO

2.1     Cultivation of Date Fruit  –         –         –         –         –         –         6-8

2.2     Uses of Different Part of Palm Plant    –         –         –         –         9

2.2.1  Seeds –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         9

2.2.2  Sap    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         9

2.2.3  Leaves         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         9-10

2.4     Chemical Composition of Date Fruit   –         –         –         –         10-11

2.4.1  Carbohydrates and Sugars         –         –         –         –         –         12-14

2.4.2  Dietary Fiber         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         14-16

2.4.3  Protein and Lipide –         –         –         –         –         –         –         16-18

2.4.4  Fatty Acid    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         18-19

2.4.5  Vitamin and Mineral        –         –         –         –         –         –         19-20

CHAPTER THREE

3.0     Economic Importance of Date Fruit     –         –         –         –         21-22

3.1     Culinary Uses        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         22

3.2     Medicinal Uses      –         –         –         –         –         –         –         22-23

3.2.1  Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Antinutritional

and Anticancer Activities –        –         –         –         –         –         23-25

3.2.2  Treatment of Abdominal Trouble         –         –         –         –         25-26

3.2.3  Anti-Analgesis, protection Against Cold,

Sore Throat and Fever    –         –         –         –         –         –         27-28

3.2.4  Effects on Pregnancy, Lactation and Reproductive System –       28-30

3.2.5  Kidney Protective Activities      –         –         –         –         –         30-31

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0     Summary and Recommendation-         –         –         –         –         32

4.1     Summary     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         32

4.2     Recommendation   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         33

References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     Introduction

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 benefits. 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, flavor, 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 (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 quantity of sugar, decreased pH, and resulted in significantly firmer 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). Date is a delicious fruit with a sweet taste and a fleshy mouth feel. The major component of dates are carbohydrates (mainly the sugars; sucrose, glucose, and fructose), which may constitute about 70%. The sugars in dates are easily digested and can immediately be moved to the blood after consumption and can quickly be metabolized to release energy for various cell activities. Dates are also a good source of fiber, and contain many important vitamins and minerals, including significant amounts of calcium, iron, luorine, and selenium (Barreveld, 1993; Makki et al., 1998; Myhara et al., 1999; Al-Shahib and Marshall, 2003; Al-Farsi et al., 2005a; Khan et al., 2008). Dates have also been shown to contain antioxidant and antimutagenic properties. Recent studies have shown that dates and their aqueous extracts have demonstrated the free radical scavenging activity, inhibition of free radical-mediated macromolecular damages, antimutagenic, and immunomodulatory activities (Vayalil, 2002; Al-Farsi et al., 2005b; Allaith, 2008; Saai et al., 2009). Further research is required to explore the health benefits of date fruit and date pits as well as the use of their functional components in the development of various value-added food products and supplements. The market for dates and their products could therefore be increased significantly in the future.

1.2     Description of Date Plant

Date tress reach up to 30 meters (100 feet) in sterus from a single or forming a clump with seteral sterus from a single root system. Slow-growing, they can reach over 100 years of age when maintained properly (Al-Shabib and Marshall, 2003). The roots have pneumatodes (Barreveld, 1993). The leaves are 4-6m (13-20ft) long, with spines on the petiole, and pinnate, with about 150 leaflets. The leaflets are 30 centimeters (12 inches) long and 2 cm (1 in) wide. The full span of the crown ranges from 6-10m (20-33 ft).

The date palm is dioecious having separate male and female plants. They can be easily grown from seed, but only 5% of seedings will be female and hence fruit bearing and dates from seedling plants are often smaller and of poorer quality. Most commercial plantations thus use cuttings of heavily cropping cultivars. Plants grown from cuttings will fruit 2-3 years earlier than seedling plants.

Dates are naturally wind-pollinated, but in traditional oasis horticulture and modern commercial orchards they are entirely hand-pollinated. Natural pollination occurs with about an equal number of male and female plants. With assistance, one male can pollinate up to 100 females. Since the males are value only as pollinators, they are usually pruned in favor of fruit producing female plants. Some growers do not even maintain any make plants, as male flowers become available at local markets at pollination time. Manual pollination is done by skilled labourers on ladders, or by use of wind machine. In some areas such as Irag the pollinator climbs the tree using a special climbing tool that wraps around the tree trunk and the climber’s back (called in Arabic) to keep him attached to the trunk while climbing.

1.3     Distribution of Date Plant

The place of origin of the date pal is uncertain because of long cultivation. According to some sources it probably originated from the fertile crescent region straddling Egypt and Mesopotamia (Al-Shabib and Marshall, 2002). While others state that they are native to the Persian Gulf area or even Western India (Cuvelier et al., 1992). Fossil record show that the date palm has existed for at least 50 million years, (Dowson and Aten, 1982).