Review: Nutritional Properties and Benefits of the Date Fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

hoenix dactylifera L. is known as the date palm. The Phoenix dactylifera L. is a monocotyledonous woody perennial belonging to the Arecaceae family. Fruits are rich sources of carbohydrates, dietary fibers, certain essential vitamins and minerals. Phytochemical investigations have revealed that the fruits contain anthocyanins, phenolics, sterols, carotenoids, procyanidins and flavonoids, compounds known to possess multiple beneficial effects. Date pits are also an excellent source of dietary fiber and contain considerable amounts of minerals, lipids and protein. In addition to its dietary use, the dates are of medicinal use and are used to treat a variety of ailments in the various traditional systems of medicine. Preclinical studies have shown that the date fruits possess free radical scavenging, antioxidant, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anticancer and immunostimulant activities. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the phytochemistry and validated pharmacological properties of date fruits and the seeds.