Date seed oil: Phenolic, tocopherol and sterol profiles

Oils extracted from the seeds of two date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) cultivars, Deglet Nour and Allig, collected from Tunisia, were compared in terms of phenolic, tocopherol and,sterol profiles. These minor components are not only very important for functional properties of oils (oxidation resistance, taste, aroma and color), but could also have many health benefits. Total phenols, considered as the principal source of oil oxidation resistance, ranged from 520.81 for Deglet Nour to 220.32 mg/kg for Allig. High performance liquid chromatography revealed eight identified peaks for which the major component was hydroxytyrosol (10.21%) for Deglet Nour and tyrosol for Allig (8.10%). Total sterol content was 3500 and 3000 mg/kg for Deglet Nour and Allig, respectively. The sterol marker, beta-sitosterol, accounted for 83.31 and 78.66% of total sterols in Deglet Nour and Allig seed oils, respectively. Alpha-tocopherol was the predominant component in both date seed oils (24.97-38.85%)