Utilization of the date seed powder in food manufacturing

Abstract

This research aimed to explore the use of date seed powder in food manufacture. The date seeds were roasted, powdered (RDSP) and used in the manufacture of laboratory chocolate balls (CB), chocolate spread (CS) and dark chocolate (DC), where the cocoa powder (CP) was replaced with 25%, 50% and 75% RDSP in each processed product mentioned above. Chemical composition and total phenol content were determined, phenols and flavonoids were identified, and the mineral composition of RDSP, CB, CS and DC was investigated. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of RDSP was determined, and a sensory evaluation of CB, CS and DC samples was estimated. The results show that RDSP exhibits a high content of crude fibre, total carbohydrates, total phenol, potassium, a considerable amount of potassium, sodium, iron, calcium and magnesium. The RDSP showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity, where the cell viability at 62.5, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 µg mL⁻¹ of RDSP was 95.63%, 92.48%, 89.99%, 75.22% and 52.85% for the MCF-7 cells, respectively, and the IC₅₀ value was 1112.28 µg mL⁻¹ in MCF-7 cells. The inclusion of RDSP reinforced the crude fibre, total phenol, sodium and potassium content and improved the phenolic and flavonoid compounds of the CB, CS and DC samples. Moreover, its overall acceptability ranged between very good and good grades. Therefore, RDSP could be recommended for use in the manufacture of chocolate products, and it exhibited anti-cancer properties.