Phytochemical studies on Arecaceae growing in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Saudi Arabia

Arecaceae belongs to monocotyledons with around 217 genera. In Saudi Arabia, two genera of Arecaceae are recorded, namely, Hyphaena and Phoenix. Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah is an important region in the western part of Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate the significance of phytochemical traits in Arecaceae plants growing in the region of Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah. Plant specimens were collected in September 2021 from the Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah region. Leaves and fruit samples were screened using standard techniques for the presence of phytochemical groups. For the estimation of antioxidants, extracts were obtained from leaves and the concentration of phenolics and flavonoids was determined by LC-DAD at 335 nm and characterized by LTQ-XL linear Ion Trap LC-MS. In statistical analyses, all data obtained from phytochemical investigations were transferred to numerical characters and used in the multivariate statistical package (MVSP). In phytochemical screening, the phytochemical groups of leaves were useful to differentiate between cultivars of date palms. The presence or absence of tannin and saponin in fruits was useful to distinguish between Ph. dactylifera and H. thebaica. The leaves of Ph. dactylifera cultivars and H. thebaica contained flavonoid compounds with different concentrations. The leaves of Phoenix dactylifera cultivars and Hyphaena thebaica can be a valuable source of natural antioxidants and protect against several diseases because of the abundance of flavonoids. The high concentration of phenolics and flavonoids among date palm cultivars was in Altaibat (5.88 mg/g) while the lowest concentration was found in Safawi (1.54 mg/g). The concentration of phenolics and flavonoids in H. thebaica was 5.02 mg/g.