Nutritional quality and amino acid composition of date palm fruit (Phoenix doctylifera L.) flour

The proximate, functional properties, antinutrient factors and amino acid compositions of date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) flour were determined. The results of the proximate analysis showed that the sample was very high in carbohydrate (80.01%), low in crude fat (1.54%) and also low in crude protein (4.94%). The date palm fruit flour contained good nutritionally useful quantities of essential amino acids, necessary for infant development, aspartic and glutamic and histidine were the most abundant. The foaming increased with increasing flour concentration and minimum gelation concentration was 6% w/v. The sample had water absorption capacity 45.0% and oil absorption capacity 130.3% while the emulsion capacity was 50.4%. There were low levels of antinutritional factors in the date flour, which would not hinder its function as human food.