ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-HEMOLYTIC ACTIVITIES OF PHENOLIC CONSTITUENTS OF SIX MOROCCAN DATE FRUIT (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) SYRUPS

*Date fruits are traditionally used to prepare a wide range of products such as vinegar wine, jam and syrup named locally “Tahlawt” moreover, their direct consumption. The aim of this study is to investigate the antioxidant and anti-hemolytic activities of six syrups prepared traditionally form six different date fruit cultivars grown in southeast Morocco. Significant difference(P < 0.05) was established among analysed syrups. The highest phenolic (6.70 g GAE /100g DW) and flavonoid content (932.82 mg RE /100g DW) were found in Jihl syrups which possessed the highest antioxidant activity based on FRAP (9.55 mmol TE/100g DW), ABTS (8.27 mmol TE /100 g DW), DPPHIC50(381.99 µg/mL) and exhibited the highest membrane protective effect (317.70 min). Tamaajount syrup contains the lowest phenolic (3.72g GAE /100g DW) and flavonoid content (528.19 mg RE /100g DW) and presented the lowest antioxidant activity based on FRAP (5.30 mmol TE/100g DW), ABTS (4.68 mmol TE /100 g DW) and DPPHIC50 (1.095 mg/mL) as well as the lowest membrane protective effect (226.44 min).The results obtained suggest that date fruit syrups could be considered as a functional food or functional food ingredient because of their high phenolic compounds, which act as antioxidants and membrane stabilizer.