Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt.
Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
Metabolomics. 2019 Aug 27;15(9):119. doi: 10.1007/s11306-019-1581-7.
Phoenix dactylifera L. (date palm) is one of the most valued crops worldwide for its economical and nutraceutical applications of its date fruit (pericarp). Currently date pits, considered as a waste product, is employed as coffee substitute post roasting. Whereas, pollen represents another valuable by-product used as a dietary supplement.
In this study, a large-scale comparative metabolomics approach was performed for the first characterization and standardization of date palm by-products viz., date pits and pollen. Moreover, roasting impact on date pit metabolite composition was also assessed.
Metabolites profiling of pits and pollen was determined via a multiplex approach of UPLC-MS and NMR, coupled to multivariate analysis, in relation to its antioxidant activities.
Chemical analyses led to the identification of 67 metabolites viz., phenolic acids, flavonols, fatty acids, sphingolipids, steroids and saponins of which 10 are first time to be reported. The enrichment of steroids in date pollen accounts for its fertility promoting properties, whereas date pit was found a rich source for antioxidant polyphenols using metabolomics.
海枣（Phoenix dactylifera L.）因其枣果（果皮）在经济和营养方面的应用而成为世界上最有价值的作物之一。目前，被视为废物的枣核在烘焙后被用作咖啡替代品。而花粉则是另一种有价值的副产品，用作膳食补充剂。
本研究采用大规模比较代谢组学方法，首次对海枣副产物，即枣核和花粉进行了特征描述和标准化。此外，还评估了烘焙对枣核代谢产物组成的影响。
通过超高效液相色谱-质谱联用和 NMR 联用的多变量分析方法，对枣核和花粉的代谢产物进行了分析，以评估其抗氧化活性。
化学分析鉴定出 67 种代谢物，包括酚酸、类黄酮、脂肪酸、鞘脂类、甾体和皂苷，其中 10 种为首次报道。花粉中甾体的富集与其促进生育的特性有关，而枣核则富含具有抗氧化作用的多酚类物质。
