Characterization of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars in Kech, Balochistan-Pakistan: antioxidant properties, phytochemical profiling and mineral composition

Date palm is a significant fruit crop cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions around the world. It serves as a rich source of carbohydrates, phytochemicals, minerals, and vitamins essential for human health and nutrition. The fruit of the date palm is edible at three different stages of maturity. The objective of the study was to understand the effects of maturity stage and cultivar on the nutritional compounds of fruits of twenty-two date palm cultivars harvested from the Kech district in Baluchistan (Pakistan). The results revealed that all antioxidant enzymes and soluble protein levels increased with advancing fruit maturity, except for superoxide dismutase, which exhibited a decreasing trend during ripening. Phytochemical analysis showed that total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total sugars, reducing sugars, and total carotenoids exhibited an increasing trend with respect to maturity stage. In contrast, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoids, and vitamin C levels were highest at the color break down crunchy stage (khalal) stage but decreased at the fully ripened (tamar) stage. Analysis of mineral contents at the half ripened (rutab) and tamar stages, revealing that most minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and manganese) increased with maturity, while calcium, copper, iron, and zinc levels decreased during fruit ripening. The results indicated that variations in different biochemical attributes of date palm germplasm from Baluchistan are primarily dependent on differences in fruit maturity stage and cultivar. A linear regression model further confirmed a strong positive correlation between maturity stages and the studied parameters.