CHEMICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES ON KHALAS DATE SEEDS POWDER

This study was aimed to estimate the nutritional value of khalas date seed powder and pita bread, prepared by replacing 5, 10, 15 and 20% of wheat flour by khalas date seed powder. Results indicated that the content of carbohydrate (%), protein (%), crude fibre (%), crude oil (%), ash (%), of khalas date seeds were 64.3, 4.69, 17.12, 4.62, and 1.09%, respectively. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids and radical scavenging activity (%RSA) were 430.43±1.2 mg GAE/100 g, 346. 13 mg RE/100 g and 79.12±1.9%, respectively. The seed oils contained 51.42% saturated fatty acids and 48.58% unsaturated fatty acids. Fiber content of whole wheat pita bread was higher compared to regular pita bread. It remained lower in 5% date seed powder bread, was quite similar in 10% date seed powder bread, and increased to 9.08% in 20% date seed powder bread compared to whole wheat pita bread. The total phenols, total flavonoids and radical scavenging activity content of pita bread fortified with date seeds increased as the amount of date seeds increased. The pita bread with20% date seeds had the highest percent for each of total phenols, total flavonoids and radical scavenging activity which valued 187.11 mg/100g, 235.45 mg RE/100 g and 43.38%, respectively. While control regular pita contained 72.31 mg/100g, 41.42 mg RE/100 g and 3.53%, respectively. Pita bread supplemented with 15% date seeds, showed high score in overall acceptability when compared to control pita bread and other various concentrations of pits. Generally, changes in dough properties were greater using different concentrations of date seeds with differences for overall acceptability and had high acceptability compared to control pita bread.