Valorization of Date Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Processing Waste and By-Products: A Review
Source abstract
Abstract
The date is a well-established and important crop that holds economic significance. However, a substantial amount of waste in the form of low-grade dates and date pits is generated and accounts for 10 to 15% of the total production. Given the substantial amount of nutrients in these by-products and the large volume of waste generated, there is a promising opportunity to utilize them to create valuable commodities like fiber and phenolic compounds, which hold a high market value. This review presents a summary of the chemical and nutritional composition of dates and their by-products and aims to investigate the possibility of utilizing date processing by-products and waste as an eco-friendly resource for various chemical and biological processes like composting and extraction of value-added compounds, as well as providing insight into the date processing industry and typical methods employed for the beneficial use of date waste. In addition, this review also addresses the current challenges and future perspectives in date waste valorization expectations.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Date Palm Research Studies · Insect Pest Control Strategies · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
Center for Sustainable Bioproducts, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, VIC 3217, Australia
Funding
Australian Research Council—Discovery Early Career Award · McKenzie Fellowship Scheme · Future Food Hallmark Research Initiative Funds · Collaborative Research Development Grant
References (100+)
Show source-provided references
1. Phytotherapeutic potential and pharmaceutical impact of Phoenix dactylifera (date palm): Current research and future prospects10.1007/s13197-019-04096-8 ↗
2. Fernández-López, J., Viuda-Martos, M., Sayas-Barberá, E., Navarro-Rodríguez de Vera, C., and Pérez-Álvarez, J.Á. (2022). Biological, Nutritive, Functional and Healthy Potential of Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.): Current Research and Future Prospects. Agronomy, 12.10.3390/agronomy12040876 ↗
3. Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Fruit as Potential Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Agents10.4103/JPBS.JPBS_168_18 ↗
4. Statista (2023, August 23). Production of Dates Worldwide from 2010 to 2021 (in Million Metric Tons)*. Available online: https://www.statista.com/statistics/960247/dates-production-worldwide/.
5. Salomón-Torres, R., Valdez-Salas, B., and Norzagaray-Plasencia, S. (2021). The Date Palm Genome, Vol. 2: Omics and Molecular Breeding, Springer.
6. El-Mously, H., and Atef, E. (2020). Date Palm Fiber Composites, Springer.10.1007/978-981-15-9339-0_13 ↗
7. Darwish, E.A.F., El-Mously, H., and Abdelrahman, A.A. (2019). By-Products of Palm Trees and Their Applications, Materials Research Forum LLC.
8. Ahmed, Z.F.R., Al Shaibani, F.Y.Y., Kaur, N., Maqsood, S., and Schmeda-Hirschmann, G. (2021). Improving Fruit Quality, Bioactive Compounds, and Storage Life of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L., cv. Barhi) Using Natural Elicitors. Horticulturae, 7.10.3390/horticulturae7090293 ↗
9. Date fruit and its by-products as promising source of bioactive components: A review10.1080/87559129.2021.1934003 ↗
10. Ghafoor, K., Sarker, M.Z.I., Al-Juhaimi, F.Y., Babiker, E.E., Alkaltham, M.S., and Almubarak, A.K. (2022). Extraction and Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds from Date (Phoenix dactylifera) Seed Using Supercritical and Subcritical CO2 Techniques. Foods, 11.10.3390/foods11121806 ↗
11. Bouaziz, F., Ben Abdeddayem, A., Koubaa, M., Ellouz Ghorbel, R., and Ellouz Chaabouni, S. (2020). Date seeds as a natural source of dietary fibers to improve texture and sensory properties of wheat bread. Foods, 9.10.3390/foods9060737 ↗
12. Habib, H.M., El-Fakharany, E.M., Souka, U.D., Elsebaee, F.M., El-Ziney, M.G., and Ibrahim, W.H. (2022). Polyphenol-rich date palm fruit seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) extract inhibits labile iron, enzyme, and cancer cell activities, and DNA and protein damage. Nutrients, 14.10.3390/nu14173536 ↗
13. Nutritional assessment, phytochemical composition and antioxidant analysis of the pulp and seed of medjool date grown in Mexico10.7717/peerj.6821 ↗
14. Synthesis and characterization of activated carbon from biomass date seeds for carbon dioxide adsorption10.1016/j.jece.2020.104257 ↗
15. Mrabet, A., Jiménez-Araujo, A., Guillén-Bejarano, R., Rodríguez-Arcos, R., and Sindic, M. (2020). Date Seeds: A Promising Source of Oil with Functional Properties. Foods, 9.10.3390/foods9060787 ↗
16. Utilization of date by-products in the food industry10.9755/ejfa.2020.v32.i11.2192 ↗
17. Oladzad, S., Fallah, N., Mahboubi, A., Afsham, N., and Taherzadeh, M.J. (2021). Date fruit processing waste and approaches to its valorization: A review. Bioresour. Technol., 340.10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125625 ↗
18. Physical fruit traits, nutritional composition, and seed oil fatty acids profiling in the main date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties grown in Morocco10.1155/2021/5138043 ↗
19. Optimization of date seed oil extraction using the assistance of hydrothermal and ultrasound technologies10.3989/gya.0109211 ↗
20. Chemical composition of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seed oil from six Saudi Arabian cultivars10.1111/1750-3841.14033 ↗
21. Alharbi, K.L., Raman, J., and Shin, H.-J. (2021). Date Fruit and Seed in Nutricosmetics. Cosmetics, 8.10.3390/cosmetics8030059 ↗
22. Sustainable production of bio-jet fuel and green gasoline from date palm seed oil via hydroprocessing over tantalum phosphate10.1016/j.fuel.2022.125688 ↗
23. Chemical composition and functional properties of date press cake, an agro-industrial waste
24. Bioactive compounds from date fruit and seed as potential nutraceutical and functional food ingredients10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125522 ↗
25. Selected dried fruits as a source of nutrients10.1007/s00217-021-03802-1 ↗
26. Alkhoori, M.A., Kong, A.S., Aljaafari, M.N., Abushelaibi, A., Erin Lim, S.H., Cheng, W.H., Chong, C.M., and Lai, K.S. (2022). Biochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Seeds: A Review. Biomolecules, 12.10.3390/biom12111626 ↗
27. Attia, A.I., Reda, F.M., Patra, A.K., Elnesr, S.S., Attia, Y.A., and Alagawany, M. (2021). Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by-Products: Chemical Composition, Nutritive Value and Applications in Poultry Nutrition, an Updating Review. Animals, 11.10.3390/ani11041133 ↗
28. In vitro evaluation of ensiling and/or exogenous fibrolytic enzyme supplementation of date press cake
29. Younas, A., Naqvi, S.A., Khan, M.R., Shabbir, M.A., Jatoi, M.A., Anwar, F., Inam-Ur-Raheem, M., Saari, N., and Aadil, R.M. (2020). Functional food and nutra-pharmaceutical perspectives of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit. J. Food Biochem., 44.10.1111/jfbc.13332 ↗
30. Sait, H.H., Hussain, A., Bassyouni, M., Ali, I., Kanthasamy, R., Ayodele, B.V., and Elhenawy, Y. (2022). Hydrogen-Rich Syngas and Biochar Production by Non-Catalytic Valorization of Date Palm Seeds. Energies, 15.10.3390/en15082727 ↗
31. Innovative use of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) press cake in the food industry10.21603/2308-4057-2022-1-2-9 ↗
32. Date Palm Fruits as a Potential Source of Functional Dietary Fiber: A Review10.3136/fstr.25.1 ↗
33. Nutritional assessment of different date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties cultivated in Hail province, Saudi Arabia10.21786/bbrc/11.2/11 ↗
34. Mineral, vitamin and phenolic contents and sugar profiles of some prominent date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) varieties of Pakistan10.30848/PJB2019-1(14) ↗
35. Batsale, M., Bahammou, D., Fouillen, L., Mongrand, S., Joubès, J., and Domergue, F. (2021). Biosynthesis and functions of very-long-chain fatty acids in the responses of plants to abiotic and biotic stresses. Cells, 10.10.3390/cells10061284 ↗
36. Bioactive properties, fatty acid compositions, and phenolic compounds of some date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars
37. Muñoz-Tebar, N., Viuda-Martos, M., Lorenzo, J.M., Fernandez-Lopez, J., and Perez-Alvarez, J.A. (2023). Strategies for the Valorization of Date Fruit and Its Co-Products: A New Ingredient in the Development of Value-Added Foods. Foods, 12.10.3390/foods12071456 ↗
38. Monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil and health status: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies10.1186/1476-511X-13-154 ↗
39. Alahyane, A., ElQarnifa, S., Ayour, J., Elateri, I., Ouamnina, A., Ait-Oubahou, A., Benichou, M., and Abderrazik, M. (2022). Date seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) valorization: Chemical composition of lipid fraction. Braz. J. Biol., 84.10.1590/1519-6984.260771 ↗
40. Trans fatty acids and lipid profile: A serious risk factor to cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes10.1016/j.dsx.2019.03.033 ↗
41. Healthy plant-based diets improve dyslipidemias, insulin resistance, and inflammation in metabolic syndrome. A narrative review10.1016/j.advnut.2022.10.002 ↗
42. Miro, C., Nappi, A., Sagliocchi, S., Di Cicco, E., Murolo, M., Torabinejad, S., Acampora, L., Pastore, A., Luciano, P., and La Civita, E. (2023). Thyroid Hormone Regulates the Lipid Content of Muscle Fibers, Thus Affecting Physical Exercise Performance. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 24.10.3390/ijms241512074 ↗
43. Rambabu, K., Bharath, G., Hai, A., Banat, F., Hasan, S.W., Taher, H., and Mohd Zaid, H.F. (2020). Nutritional Quality and Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Selected Date Fruit Varieties of the United Arab Emirates. Processes, 8.10.3390/pr8030256 ↗
44. Dalangin, R., Kim, A., and Campbell, R.E. (2020). The Role of Amino Acids in Neurotransmission and Fluorescent Tools for Their Detection. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 21.10.3390/ijms21176197 ↗
45. Barakat, H., and Alfheeaid, H.A. (2023). Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera) and Its Promising Potential in Developing Functional Energy Bars: Review of Chemical, Nutritional, Functional, and Sensory Attributes. Nutrients, 15.10.3390/nu15092134 ↗
46. Utilizing the date palm (Phoenix canariensis) seeds in the preparation of some special foods of high nutritional value10.5267/j.ccl.2022.4.001 ↗
47. Long-term growth, water consumption and yield of date palm as a function of salinity10.1016/j.agwat.2011.06.010 ↗
48. Chemical properties of 11 date cultivars and their corresponding fiber extracts
49. Dates (Phoenix dactylifera) and Date Vinegar: Preventive Role against Various Diseases and Related in Vivo Mechanisms10.1080/87559129.2020.1735411 ↗
50. Lignocellulose, dietary fibre, inulin and their potential application in food10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10459 ↗
51. Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) polysaccharides: A review on Chemical structure and nutritional properties10.1007/s11694-022-01425-y ↗
52. Food waste valorization potential: Fiber, sugar, and color profiles of 18 date seed varieties (Phoenix dactylifera, L.)
53. Dietary fiber components, microstructure, and texture of date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera, L.)10.1038/s41598-020-78713-4 ↗
54. Valorization of date palm wastes by lignin extraction to be used for the improvement of polymeric membrane characteristics10.3311/PPch.18273 ↗
55. Bamigbade, G.B., Subhash, A.J., Kamal-Eldin, A., Nyström, L., and Ayyash, M. (2022). An Updated Review on Prebiotics: Insights on Potentials of Food Seeds Waste as Source of Potential Prebiotics. Molecules, 27.10.3390/molecules27185947 ↗
56. Glycemic indices of five varieties of dates in healthy and diabetic subjects10.1186/1475-2891-10-59 ↗
57. Dietary fibre for glycaemia control: Towards a mechanistic understanding10.1016/j.bcdf.2017.07.005 ↗
58. Pinto, T., Aires, A., Cosme, F., Bacelar, E., Morais, M.C., Oliveira, I., Ferreira-Cardoso, J., Anjos, R., Vilela, A., and Gonçalves, B. (2021). Bioactive (Poly)phenols, Volatile Compounds from Vegetables, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Foods, 10.10.3390/foods10010106 ↗
59. Farid, A.B. (2021). Phenolic Compounds, IntechOpen. Chapter 4.
60. Polyphenol characterisation of Phoenix dactylifera L. (date) seeds using HPLC-mass spectrometry and its bioaccessibility using simulated in-vitro digestion/Caco-2 culture model10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125969 ↗
61. Zihad, S.M.N.K., Uddin, S.J., Sifat, N., Lovely, F., Rouf, R., Shilpi, J.A., Sheikh, B.Y., and Göransson, U. (2021). Antioxidant properties and phenolic profiling by UPLC-QTOF-MS of Ajwah, Safawy and Sukkari cultivars of date palm. Biochem. Biophys. Rep., 25.10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.100909 ↗
62. Inability of total antioxidant activity assays to accurately assess the phenolic compounds of date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.)10.1016/j.nfs.2021.01.001 ↗
63. Assessment of phenolic contents and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of extracts from four varieties of Iranian date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds
64. Selim, S., Abdel-Mawgoud, M., Al-Sharary, T., Almuhayawi, M.S., Alruhaili, M.H., Al Jaouni, S.K., Warrad, M., Mohamed, H.S., Akhtar, N., and AbdElgawad, H. (2021). Pits of date palm: Bioactive composition, antibacterial activity and antimutagenicity potentials. Agronomy, 12.10.3390/agronomy12010054 ↗
65. Effect of Phoenix dactylifera seeds (dates) extract in triton WR-1339 and high fat diet induced hyperlipidaemia in rats: A comparison with simvastatin10.1016/j.jep.2020.112961 ↗
66. Bioactive compounds, minerals, fatty acids, color, and sensory profile of roasted date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seed10.1111/jfpp.14495 ↗
67. Phenolic profiling and antibacterial potential of Saudi Arabian native date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) cultivars10.1080/10942912.2020.1751196 ↗
68. Phenolic content, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of seeds and leaves of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)10.31665/JFB.2019.5179 ↗
69. Comparison of antioxidant activity and total phenol contents of some date seed varieties from Iran
70. Optimization of phenolics and dietary fibre extraction from date seeds10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.009 ↗
71. Climate Change 101: How Everyday Activities Contribute to the Ever-Growing Issue10.3991/ijes.v7i1.10031 ↗
72. Pyrolysis of different date palm industrial wastes into high-quality bio-oils: A comparative study10.1007/s10098-020-01888-x ↗
73. A study of biogas production from date palm fruit wastes10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.139 ↗
74. Effect of date palm waste compost on forage alfalfa growth, yield, seed yield and minerals uptake10.1007/s40093-017-0182-6 ↗
75. Ethanol production from date wastes: Adapted technologies, challenges, and global potential10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.048 ↗
76. Extraction of Phenolic Compounds of six Algerian date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars from Ain-Saleh region, using Reflux method and Screening of Antioxidant Activity in vitro
77. Nutritional value of whole date waste and evaluating its application in ostrich diets10.1016/j.animal.2020.100165 ↗
78. Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of soluble dietary fiber from potato pulp and its properties10.1111/jfpp.14204 ↗
79. Date-fruit syrup waste extract as a natural additive for soap production with enhanced antioxidant and antibacterial activity10.1016/j.eti.2020.101153 ↗
80. Effect of date fruit waste extract as an antioxidant additive on the properties of active gelatin films10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129631 ↗
81. Farousha, K., Rangaraj, V.M., Rambabu, K., Haija, M.A., and Banat, F. (2023). Development of date seed extract encapsulated MCM-41: Characterization, release kinetics, antioxidant and antibacterial studies. Food Biosci., 53.10.1016/j.fbio.2023.102563 ↗
82. Date seeds biomass-derived activated carbon for efficient removal of NaCl from saline solution10.1016/j.psep.2019.06.024 ↗
83. Valorization of date palm leaves for adsorptive remediation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicide polluted agricultural runoff10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120612 ↗
84. In vitro assessment of nutritive value of date palm by-products as feed for ruminants10.9755/ejfa.2016-01-104 ↗
85. McDonald, P., Henderson, A., and Heron, S.J.E. (1991). The Biochemistry of Silage, Chalcombe Publications.
86. Gouda, G.A., Kholif, A.E., Hamdon, H.A., Kassab, A.Y., and Patra, A.K. (2022). Utilization of Waste Date Palm Leaves Biomass Ensiled with Malic or Lactic Acids in Diets of Farafra Ewes under Tropical Conditions. Animals, 12.10.3390/ani12111432 ↗
87. Wang, H., Li, L., Zhang, N., Zhang, T., and Ma, Y. (2022). Effects of Pelleting and Long-Term High-Temperature Stabilization on Vitamin Retention in Swine Feed. Animals, 12.10.3390/ani12091058 ↗
88. Utilization of by-products and food waste in livestock production systems: A Canadian perspective10.1093/af/vfab004 ↗
89. Lee, S.Y., Sankaran, R., Chew, K.W., Tan, C.H., Krishnamoorthy, R., Chu, D.-T., and Show, P.-L. (2019). Waste to bioenergy: A review on the recent conversion technologies. BMC Energy, 1.10.1186/s42500-019-0004-7 ↗
90. Microbiology of synthesis gas fermentation for biofuel production10.1016/j.copbio.2007.03.008 ↗
91. Pyrolysis of Waste Biomass: Technical and Process Achievements, and Future Development—A Review10.3390/en16041829 ↗
92. Srivastava, N., and Malik, M.A. (2022). Food Waste to Green Fuel: Trend & Development, Springer.10.1007/978-981-19-0813-2 ↗
93. Yahya, S.A., Iqbal, T., Omar, M.M., and Ahmad, M. (2021). Techno-Economic Analysis of Fast Pyrolysis of Date Palm Waste for Adoption in Saudi Arabia. Energies, 14.10.3390/en14196048 ↗
94. Production and optimization of high grade cellulase from waste date seeds by Cellulomonas uda NCIM 2353 for biohydrogen production10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.06.171 ↗
95. Bharath, G., Hai, A., Rambabu, K., Banat, F., Jayaraman, R., Taher, H., Bastidas-Oyanedel, J.-R., Ashraf, M.T., and Schmidt, J.E. (2020). Systematic production and characterization of pyrolysis-oil from date tree wastes for bio-fuel applications. Biomass Bioenergy, 135.10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105523 ↗
96. Efficient utilization of date palm waste for the bioethanol production through Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain10.1002/fsn3.2175 ↗
97. Liu, Y., Tang, Y., Gao, H., Zhang, W., Jiang, Y., Xin, F., and Jiang, M. (2021). Challenges and Future Perspectives of Promising Biotechnologies for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery. Molecules, 26.10.3390/molecules26175411 ↗
98. Johnston, J., and Fellow, L.T.S. (2005). Assessing Soil Fertility: The Importance of Soil Analysis and Its Interpretation, Potash Development Association.
99. Marcelo, L.L., and Sonia, S. (2020). Soil Contamination, IntechOpen. Chapter 6.
100. Ayilara, M.S., Olanrewaju, O.S., Babalola, O.O., and Odeyemi, O. (2020). Waste Management through Composting: Challenges and Potentials. Sustainability, 12.10.3390/su12114456 ↗