Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibition Activity of Phoenix dactylifera Ajwa Cultivar

Ajwa date (Phoenix dactylifera) is one of a special variety of Saudi Arabian dates with many health benefits such as nutrient and fiber. Despite extensive studies on the pharmacological properties of P. dactylifera and its constituents, the study on its potential as acetylcholinesterase inhibitor has not been reported so far; therefore, Ajwa cv. was selected as sample in this study. Water extract of Ajwa cv. fruit flesh was analyzed for their antioxidant activity through phytochemical screening and DPPH assay. The sample also tested on inhibition activity toward acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme using thin-layer chromatography plate. The extracts show the presence of phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, carbohydrates which are good antioxidant sources, of the extracts exhibited a concentration dependence pattern across the range tested. 100 mg/ml of Ajwa dates showed the highest antioxidant activity with 75.47% of inhibition. For acetylcholinesterase inhibition test, the findings showed no positive sign of enzyme inhibition found as no white spot discovered on the TLC plate. It could be done on seed itself to prove that the seed plays the main role as the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.