Effect of pollen sources on yield oil extraction and fatty acid profile of the date seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivar Medjool from Mexico

Abstract

The present investigation aimed to assess the effect of pollen sources on the mass, dimension, oil content and fatty acid profile of the seeds from female palms of the Medjool date cultivar. The palms were pollinated with Deglet Noor, Khadrawy, Medjool and Zahidi cultivars. In addition, three palms were pollinated as the treatment control. The fatty acids were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The surface morphology of date seed powder was examined using SEM, before and after n-hexane interaction. The seeds of the Medjool treatment had the greatest mass (1.42 g), but the lowest oil content (5.37% w/w); the control seeds showed smaller mass (1.21 g), but higher oil content (13.57% w/w). The proportion of fatty acids varied significantly among the treatments with respect to the control. The most abundant fatty acids were oleic (C18:1), lauric (C12:0), myristic (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), linoleic (C18:2), and stearic (C18:0). Together these fatty acids presented a composition between 98.3 and 98.67% for treatments, and 99.0% for the control. The results indicate that the pollen sources from Deglet Noor, Khadrawy, Medjool and Zahidi cultivars had a significant effect on mass, dimension, oil content and fatty acid profile of the seeds of the date cultivar Medjool. The date seed oil could be used as edible oil, in food products, and in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.