Evaluation of the Proximate Composition of Date Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and Its Potential Health Benefits
G. O. Anibasa Ogunlade
*
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
P. T. Ameh
Department of Microbiology, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
E. I. Otteh
Department of Computer Science, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
O. S. Aniki
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
A. A. Jerome
Department of Science and Environmental Education, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
B. E. Anda
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
J. Daudu
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
J. I. Ajanya
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
M. V. Aregbesola
Department of Computer Science, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
S. A. Jayden
Department of Computer Science, Federal University, Lokoja, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a nutritionally important crop consumed widely in arid and semi-arid regions, where it contributes to energy intake and food security. Processing date fruit into powder may improve handling, storage stability and its suitability for use as a natural sweetening ingredient. This study evaluated the proximate composition of laboratory-processed Phoenix dactylifera L. powder and considered its potential nutritional relevance based on the measured composition. Fully ripened date fruits at the Tamr stage were cleaned, deseeded, dried in a hot-air oven at 60–70°C, milled and sieved to obtain a uniform powder. Moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat and crude fibre were determined using standard analytical procedures, while total carbohydrate was estimated by difference. Analyses were conducted in triplicate, and results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The powder contained total carbohydrate as the predominant component (69.42 ± 4.48%), followed by crude fat (14.85 ± 6.25%), moisture (11.04 ± 1.14%), ash (2.49 ± 0.01%), crude fibre (2.03 ± 2.11%) and crude protein (0.17 ± 0.06%). The proximate fractions differed significantly (p < 0.05), with carbohydrate being approximately six to ten times higher than the other measured nutrients. The relatively low moisture content suggests improved storage stability, while the ash fraction indicates the presence of inorganic mineral constituents. The high carbohydrate level confirms that date fruit powder is an energy-rich material with potential use in food formulation and as a natural sweetening ingredient. However, health-related implications remain inferential because individual minerals, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and direct physiological effects were not experimentally assessed in this study.
Keywords: Phoenix dactylifera, date fruit powder, proximate composition, carbohydrate content, crude fat, moisture content, ash content, natural sweetener, food formulation, functional foods