Date seeds: chemical composition and characteristic profiles of the lipid fraction

The seeds of two date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars, Deglet Nour and Allig, from the Degach region-Tunisia, were analysed for their main chemical composition. Studies were also conducted on properties of oil extracted from date pits. The following values (on a dry-weight basis) were obtained for Deglet Nour and Allig cultivars, respectively: protein 5.56 and 5.17%, oil 10.19 and 12.67%, Ash 1.15 and 1.12% and total carbohydrate 83.1 and 81.0%. Gas-liquid chromatography revealed that the major unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (41.3-47.7%), while the main saturated fatty acid was lauric acid (17.8%) for the Deglet Nour cultivar and palmitic acid for the Allig cultivar (15.0%). Capric, myristic, myristoleic, palmitoleic, stearic, linoleic and linolenic acids were also found. Thermal profiles of both date seed oils, determined by their DSC melting curves, revealed simple thermograms. Sensorial and physical profiles of Deglet Nour and Allig seed oil were based on studies of the CieLab (L*, a*, b*) colour, oxidative stability, viscosity and microstructure. Results showed that date seed oil could be used in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food products. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.