నైరూప్య

GC-MS Analysis of flesh oil and seed oil of Date Palm (Phoenix dactilifera): A comparison

Olusola Ladokun

Date palm (Phoenix dactilifera) is a highly nutritious fruit with a potential as a nutraceutical for the treatment of various health disorders including memory disturbances, fever, inflammation, paralysis and loss of consciousness. The present study was conducted to determine the nutritional components of the flesh, seed, flesh oil and seed oil of phoenix dactilifera. The results show that the date palm seed has a moisture content of 11.88%, 8.89% of crude protein, 12.67% of crude fat, 9.58% of crude fiber, 3.79% of ash and 53.19% of carbohydrate. The date palm flesh contains 10.72% of moisture, 19.77% of crude protein, 15.21% of crude fat, 11.48% of crude fiber, 7.38% of ash and 35.44% of carbohydrate. Oil was extracted from the seed and flesh and the nutritional components were also determined. More oil was extracted from the seed (80%), while the percentage oil extracted from 500g of date flesh was 44%. Physicochemical properties that were determined from the oil of date seed were free fatty acid such as oleic acid (4.08%), peroxide value (60mg/g). For date flesh oil the free fatty acid was 4.94%, peroxide value 62.5mg/g.