Exploring the potential of wild date palm (Phoenix Sylvestris L. Roxb) fruits for vinegar production in Bangladesh

• Wild date palm juice converted into high-quality vinegar with varying TSS. • Vinegar produced from 25 % TSS exhibited highest phenolic content and antioxidant. • 25 % TSS vinegar has highest acidity, macro-mineral, and favorable sensory quality. • Underscores the potential for commercial use of wild date palm in Bangladesh. • Boosting sustainable agriculture and supporting rural economy. The wild date palm ( Phoenix Sylvestris L. Roxb), indigenous to Bangladesh, remains underutilized for creating consumable products. This study explores the potential of wild date palm fruit as a valuable food ingredient by converting its juice into vinegar through a two-step fermentation process. Juices with varying total soluble solids (TSS) concentrations of 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, and 25 % were subjected to sequential alcoholic and acetic acid fermentation, yielding four vinegar samples (S1, S2, S3, and S4, respectively). During anaerobic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae , results indicated a significant increase in alcohol content and a corresponding decrease in pH ( p ≤ 0.05) with rising TSS levels. Subsequent acetic fermentation utilizing Acetobacter species converted the alcohol into acetic acid, with the 25 % TSS vinegar demonstrating the highest nutritional value, acidity, residual reducing sugar, alcohol content, and macro minerals (K, Ca, P, Mg, Na) among the samples. Additionally, increased TSS resulted in a significant rise in density and a decrease in electrical conductivity and linear color change ( p ≤ 0.05). All vinegar samples exhibited notable total phenolic content and free radical scavenging capacity. This study underscores the potential of wild date palm fruits in producing high-quality vinegar, offering a novel utilization avenue for this indigenous resource.