Assessment of nutritional composition, phytochemical screening, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) seeds

Phoenix dactylifera seeds possess numerous health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, due to presence of unique phytochemical components. In present study, the nutritional composition, phytochemical screening, anti-oxidant, and antimicrobial activity of date palm seed were investigated. Results of the present investigation revealed that date seed extract contains moisture content (4.34%), ash content (1.2%), protein (4.4%), and crude fiber (15.87/100 g) on a dry basis. This study explored the valorization potential of date seed by indicating the presence of beneficial phytochemicals such as alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and tannins, except steroids and cardiac glycosides. The total phenolic content was found to be 448 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per 100 g of date seed powder, while the antioxidant activity (%) was determined to be 87.04 ± 1.98. FTIR spectral studies revealed the presence of different functional groups such as OH, C–H, C=O, and CH2 within the range of 3800–800 cm−1. Furthermore, gallic acid concentration in the date seed extract was noted to be 13.293 μg/mL using HPLC analysis. A strong antibacterial effect was observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus, resulting in the inhibition zone diameters of 18 mm and 17 mm, respectively. However, the antibacterial activity was found to be less effective against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, both with an inhibition zone diameter of 16 mm. The research findings suggest that date seeds offer diverse medical applications and may serve as a potential source for various bioactive components.