Date Palm

... Antioxidants have received increased attention by nutritionists and medical researchers for their potential effects in the prevention of chronic ... their metal-chelating and radical-scavenging properties, phenols were considered effective inhibitors of lipid peroxidation (Mansouri et al ...

Phosphates are very important basic materials in agricultural and other industrial applications. The removal of phosphates from surface waters is generally necessary to avoid problems, such as eutrophication, particularly near urban areas. This paper is focused on the sorption of PO4(3-) ions from aqueous solution onto date palm fibers as a raw, natural and abundantly materials. A series of batch tests were conducted and the influence of contact time, initial phosphate concentration, pH of the solution and adsorbent dosage on PO4(3-) specie removal was investigated. FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the date palm fibers before and after phosphates biosorption and desorption studies were investigated to confirm the mechanism of the retention of phosphates. Results indicate that PO4(3-) uptake increased with increased initial phosphate concentration and decreased with increased pH values. The results showed that the highest phosphates adsorption capacity (4.35 mg/g) was found at pH 6.8, for an adsorbent dosage of 6g/L, initial phosphate concentration of 50mg/L, under a constant temperature of 18 degrees C+/-02, and the equilibrium state was reached within 120 min of exposure time. The relatively low cost and high capabilities of date palm fibers make them potentially attractive adsorbents for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solution.

This study investigated the ameliorative potential of methanolic date flesh extract (MDFE) against cisplatin-induced hepatic injury. Twenty male rats (weighing 180–200 g) were allocated into four groups: control; date flesh (DF) group (oral 600 mg/kg MDFE for 21 days); Cis group (7.5 mg/kg i.p. at day 16); and date flesh/cisplatin (DF/Cis) group (oral 600 mg/kg MDFE for 21 days and 7.5 mg/kg i.p. at day 16). Hepatic biochemical parameters in sera, and inflammatory and oxidant/antioxidant hepatic biomarkers were estimated. Hepatic histological changes and the immunohistochemistry of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were assessed. Pretreatment with MDFE decreased Cis-triggered liver biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, and histological damage. Moreover, MDFE treatment reduced Cis-induced hepatic NF-κB, COX-2, and α-SMA protein expression. MDFE exerted a hepatoprotective effect when used concom...

... 4700 ha), avocado (aprox. 6500 ha) and orange (aprox. ... Yields are extremely low if compare with the optima of other areas: banana (20 ton/ha), plantain (8,5 ton/ha), orange (13 ton/ha), lime (20 ton/ha), mango (15 ton/ha), papaya (12 ton/ha), pineapple (18.5 ton/ha). ...

The current study aims to optimize in vitro elongation and rooting protocol and successful acclimatization of two elite date palm cultivars of Pakistan. The differentiated repeated embryos (RE) and non-repeated embryos (NRE) of date palm cvs. Aseel and Dhakki were harvested and transferred on germination medium containing different combinations of NAA + Kin (mg L–1), full strength MS nutrients and 30 g L–1 sucrose. The maximum somatic embryos germination and plantlet formation was achieved on the medium comprising 0.05 NAA + 1.0 Kin (mg L–1). Whereas improved elongation and rooting was obtained on the MS medium comprising 0.1 NAA + 0.1 BA (mg L–1). Addition of activated charcoal (3 gL–1) and trimming of roots (prior to proper rooting stage on rooting medium) were found vital to enhance leaf and root length, in addition helped secondary and tertiary root formation. The in vitro hardening was observed as helpful to bring gradual physiological changes from heterotrophic to autotrophic ...

Bayoud, the Fusarium wilt of date palm, was first detected in southern Morocco (Draa Valley), after which it spread to most of the Moroccan palm groves. To assess whether the epidemic results from the spread of a single virulent clone, 42 isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ...

The present work was aimed to study the effect of various grinding agents and detergents on the amount and purity of the extracted DNA from diverse plant samples. Agents supporting grinding process were liquid nitrogen, acid washed sand and glass beads, along with a number of concentrations of two detergents i.e. SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate) and CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide). Six plants species Croton (Codiaeum variegatum), Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), Orchid (Orchis militaris), Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), Pineapple (Ananas cosmosus) and Aloe (Aloe vera); were selected for DNA isolation and these plant species differ in their leaf texture as well as polysaccharides and phenolics content. The results obtained showed the presence of linear relationship between detergent and yield of the DNA with a little influence on the purity. The type of grinding agent did not significantly affect the purity of the extracted DNA but the amount of extracted DNA is greatly influ...

Open-graded friction course (OGFC) or porous asphalt mixtures are special mixes used for improving the surface friction, increasing surface permeability, and reducing pavement noise. The mix consists mostly of coarse size aggregate with little fines. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two types of organic fibers: date-palm fibers and textile fibers, in combination with styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) polymer on the properties of OGFC mixes. A total of six different mixes were evaluated. Mix designs were performed ...

An efficient somatic embryogenesis system has been established in six date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars (Barhee, Zardai, Khalasah, Muzati, Shishi and Zart). Somatic embryogenesis (SE) was growth regulators and cultivars dependent. Friable embryogenic callus was induced from excised shoot tips on MS medium supplemented with various auxins particularly 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 1.5mg1−l). Suspension culture increased embryogenesis potentiality. Only a-naphthaleneacetic

A field study on a saline condition was carried out at agricultural farm of Deglet Nour date palm during the 2012 growing season. It focuses on the irrigation water management problem as affected by salinity in Oued Righ region (North Eastern Sahara, Algeria). To determine irrigation requirements a computer model based on the computation of reference evapotranspiration, crop coefficient, water holding capacity, leaching requirements and daily water use by date palm was used. The average annual amount of irrigation for a palm tree was varied from 145-218 m 3 per palm. According to the system of irrigation used, localized irrigation of one ha containing 120 palm trees at Touggourt required water on annual basis as 17411 m 3 haG 1 yearG 1 . On the other side, the use of traditional irrigation system (e.g., border irrigation) consumes more water to the tune of 26117 m 3 haG 1 yearG 1 . This model was employed to improve water management practices by the farmers. The result shows that lo...

This study was conducted to assess some of the factors hindering the production of dates in one of the major date-palm growing regions of the Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan district was selected as case study area and a structured interview schedule was used to collect quantitative data from 120 date growers. The qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with the key informants.

An efficient reproducible protocol has been developed for in vitro propagation of endangered medicinal plant (Tylophora indica). The concentration of plant growth regulators and explant types exhibited discrete roles in the efficiency of plant regeneration. Stem ...

A crude acetone extract of the pit of date palm (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) was prepared and its antiviral activity evaluated against lyticPseudomonasphage ATCC 14209-B1, usingPseudomonas aeruginosaATCC 25668 as the host cell. The antiviral activity of date pits was found to be mediated by binding to the phage, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of <10 μg ml−1. The decimal reduction time (D-values), the concentration exponent (η) and the phage inactivation kinetics were determined. The date pit extracts show a strong ability to inhibit the infectivity ofPseudomonasphage ATCC 14209-B1 and completely prevented bacterial lysis, which it is hoped will promote research into its potential as a novel antiviral agent against pathogenic human viruses.

The genetic diversity of the date palm wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis in Algeria was assessed using vegetative compatibility, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). ...

An efficient reproducible protocol has been developed for in vitro propagation of endangered medicinal plant (Tylophora indica). The concentration of plant growth regulators and explant types exhibited discrete roles in the efficiency of plant regeneration. Stem ...

The fruits (dates) of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) contain a high percentage of carbohydrate (total sugars, 44-88%), fat (0.2-0.5%), 15 salts and minerals, protein (2.3-5.6%), vitamins and a high percentage of dietary fibre (6.4-11.5%). The flesh of dates contains 0.2-0.5% oil, whereas the seed contains 7.7-9.7% oil. The weight of the seed is 5.6-14.2% of the date. The fatty acids occur in both flesh and seed as a range of saturated and unsaturated acids, the seeds containing 14 types of fatty acids, but only eight of these fatty acids occur in very low concentration in the flesh. Unsaturated fatty acids include palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. The oleic acid content of the seeds varies from 41.1 to 58.8%, which suggests that the seeds of date could be used as a source of oleic acid. There are at least 15 minerals in dates. The percentage of each mineral in dried dates varies from 0.1 to 916 mg/100 g date depending on the type of mineral. In many varieties, potassium can be found at a concentration as high as 0.9% in the flesh while it is as high as 0.5% in some seeds. Other minerals and salts that are found in various proportions include boron, calcium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, sodium and zinc. Additionally, the seeds contain aluminum, cadmium, chloride, lead and sulphur in various proportions. Dates contain elemental fluorine that is useful in protecting teeth against decay. Selenium, another element believed to help prevent cancer and important in immune function, is also found in dates. The protein in dates contains 23 types of amino acids, some of which are not present in the most popular fruits such as oranges, apples and bananas. Dates contain at least six vitamins including a small amount of vitamin C, and vitamins B(1) thiamine, B(2) riboflavin, nicotinic acid (niacin) and vitamin A. The dietary fibre of 14 varieties of dates has been shown to be as high as 6.4-11.5% depending on variety and degree of ripeness. Dates contain 0.5-3.9% pectin, which may have important health benefits. The world production of dates has increased 2.9 times over 40 years, whereas the world population has doubled. The total world export of dates increased by 1.71% over 40 years. In many ways, dates may be considered as an almost ideal food, providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits.

 Background and Aims Date palms (Phoenix dactylifera, Arecaceae) are of great economic and ecological value to the oasis agriculture of arid and semi-arid areas. However, despite the availability of a large date palm germplasm spreading from the Atlantic shores to Southern Asia, improvement of the species is being hampered by a lack of information on global genetic diversity and population structure. In order to contribute to the varietal improvement of date palms and to provide new insights on the influence of geographic origins and human activity on the genetic structure of the date palm, this study analysed the diversity of the species.  Methods Genetic diversity levels and population genetic structure were investigated through the genotyping of a collection of 295 date palm accessions ranging from Mauritania to Pakistan using a set of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a plastid minisatellite.  Key Results Using a Bayesian clustering approach, the date palm genotypes...

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a major fruit crop of arid regions that were domesticated ∼7,000 y ago in the Near or Middle East. This species is cultivated widely in the Middle East and North Africa, and previous population genetic studies have shown genetic differentiation between these regions. We investigated the evolutionary history of P. dactylifera and its wild relatives by resequencing the genomes of date palm varieties and five of its closest relatives. Our results indicate that the North African population has mixed ancestry with components from Middle Eastern P. dactylifera and Phoenix theophrasti, a wild relative endemic to the Eastern Mediterranean. Introgressive hybridization is supported by tests of admixture, reduced subdivision between North African date palm and P. theophrasti, sharing of haplotypes in intro-gressed regions, and a population model that incorporates gene flow between these populations. Analysis of ancestry proportions indicates that as much a...

The suitability of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprints as genetic markers in date palms was tested. Five date palm cultivars (Barbi, Nabtet Ali. Rothanah, Ajwa, and Sokkari) from Saudi well- known dates were subject to DNA fingerprint analysis. From 20 primers tested, only 12 were selected as reproducible, giving 64 bands. The RAPD profiles obtained were successfully used to differentiate the genotypes. Based on the pair-wise comparison of amplification products, the genetic similarity was estimated. The five date palm cultivars showed variation at the DNA level. The genetic similarity among all date palm cultivars ranged from 70 to 85%. Sokkary was quite distant from Haiti and Ajwa cultivats. A dendrogram was constructed using UPGMA analysis. On the basis of this analysis, the populations were clustered into two clusters: cluster l contained Barhi and Ajwa cultivars, and cluster II contained Nabtet Ali, Rothanah and Sokkari cultivars. Therefore, the polymorphism ...

Shareef, H.J., Alhamd, A.S., Naqvi, S.A., Eissa, M.A., 2021. Adapting date palm offshoots to long-term irrigation using groundwater in sandy soil. Folia Oecologica, 48 (1): 55-62. The date palm can grow in desert areas using high salinity groundwater by increasing the number of irrigation cycles. A field experiment was carried out on date palm cv. Sayer offshoots grown in sandy saline soil during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. The outcomes demonstrated that the application of saline (10 dS m-1) groundwater every four days increased plant height, number of new leaves, total chlorophyll, and relative water content. In turn, the hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage were reduced. Also, the effect of this treatment improved the growth of the plants, thus reduced the absorption of sodium, chloride, and increased potassium, then decreased the Na/K ratio. Cluster analysis showed two distinct cluster groups. In the first group, the dissimilarity between the treatments is illustrated by the influence of freshwater. While the second group showed the similarity between the treatments of four days and every week in the subgroup. Whereas treatment of two weeks duration shows the most detrimental effect on growth indices and chemical properties of offshoots. The utilization of saline groundwater in the water system of the date palm is the best option among the solutions possible in the current conditions of drought and thermal retention.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder triggered by disturbances in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolisms, where either reduced secretion or sensitivity of insulin is observed coupled with poor glucose control. Date palm fruits are one of the fruits reported to have good potential in diabetes treatment due to its presence of polyphenols exerting strong antioxidant activities. Other possible mechanisms of action include the polyphenolic compounds, which can inhibit enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Flavonoids in dates can stimulate β-cells by increasing the number of islets and β-cells, recovering endocrine pancreatic tissues, reducing β-cell apoptosis, activating insulin receptors following the increase in insulin secretion, in addition to improving diabetes-induced complications. In this review, the in vitro, in vivo, and human study-based evidence of date palm as an anti-diabetic fruit is summarised.

The  date  palm,  Phoenix  dactylifera  L.  is  the  notable  palm  which  produces  a  nutrient-rich edible  fruit  (the  date),  well  known  for  its  unique  attributes  of  medicine  and  healthy  energy.    It  is  a species  that  has  been  cultivated  since  early  civilizations  in  the  fertile  crescent  and  later  in  the Middle  East.  It  is  typically  cloned  with  many  cultivars  (over  3000).  A  means  of  accurately identifying  specific  clones  and  an  understanding  of  the  relationships  among  major  commercial cultivars  would  provide  valuable  information  for  the  maintenance,  potentially  an  improvement  and continued  conservation  of  superior  genotypes.  Phylogenetic  relationships  amid  commercial  date cultivars  are  poorly  understood,  despite  their  importance.  This  research  aimed  at  providing applicable  knowledge  through  an  expedient  technique,  by  developing  an  exclusively  tailored Simple  Sequence  Repeat  (SSR)  panel,  custom-made  for  date  palm  fingerprinting  and  molecular identification  also  named  as  ‘Dates  PalmàPrinting’.    This  assembled  modified  genotyping  by microsatellite  markers  provides  a  standardized  approach  to  cultivar  identification  and  a  quality control  application  in  date  palm  micropropagation  production.  A  deeper  understanding  and relationship  of  today’s  major  commercial  cultivars  is  incomplete.  Improving  the  development  and productivity  of  this  tree  species  is  restricted  due  to  few  genetic  resources.  Only  regionally  narrowed studies  have  been conducted but  it  is  more  important  to have  a  broader base  of such knowledge.  The present  research  reports  on  20  selected,  commercially  important  date  palm  cultivars,  consisting of  18  females  and  2  males,  which  are  grown  throughout  the  world.  The  knowledge  of  relationships among  these  cultivars  is  needed,  although  the  date  palm  genome  has  been  mostly  sequenced  (90.2 %)  with  41,660  gene  models  representing  an  82,354  scaffold.  The  relationships  among  the  major cultivars  remain  unclear.  Presently,  the  information  on  the  characterization  of  these  cultivars requires  an  assessment  to  better  understand  the  relationships  among  the  superior  genotypes.  The use  of  microsatellites,  due  to  their  accuracy  and  high  polymorphic  capability,  have  led  to  fine  scaled phylogenies.  The  phylogenetic  relationships  were  determined  using  neighbor  joining  un-rooted trees  correlated  with  genetic  structure  clustering.    Primer  selections  were  achieved  from  evaluation of  14  nuclear  SSR  loci  isolated  from  P.  dactylifera.  Results  revealed  a  high  degree  of polymorphism  observed  in  the  20  cultivars  with  fewer  common  alleles  than  anticipated.    Within the  cultivars  studied,  a  broad  heterozygosity  across  base  pair  (bp)  amplification  data  has  led  to  an understanding  of  limited  inbreeding,  accounting  for  possible  adaptation  to  environmental  changes and  revealing  conserved  extensive  array  of  genomic  structure.  Population  structure  analysis suggests  a  large  genetic  boundary  between  Northwest  African  and  Middle  Eastern  cultivars  with  6 subpopulations  that  represent  divergences  and  fragments  of  admixture  in  cultivars  present  in  these regions.    The  possible  selection  of  potential  and  good  quality  parents  is  achievable  for  improving cultivars  by  generating  population  and  structure  maps.  This  analysis  documents  patterns  of relationship  and  provides  genetic  structure  and  diversity  of  gene  pool  specificity  complexes  of  date palm  cultivars. This  study  provides  insights  about  the  relationships  that  exist  among  cultivars  of  interest  through genetic  sequence  analysis  using  SSRs,  facilitating  the  development  of  a  standard  approach  to identification and enhancements  to the  micropropagation process.