Pulsed Electric Field-Assisted Ethanolic Extraction of Date Palm Fruits: Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity and Physicochemical Properties

• Main Authors: Azhari Siddeeg, Muhammad Faisal Manzoor, Muhammad Haseeb Ahmad, Nazir Ahmad, Zahoor Ahmed, Muhammad Kashif Iqbal Khan, Abid Aslam Maan, Mahr-Un-Nisa, Xin-An Zeng, Al-Farga Ammar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
• Series: Processes
• Subjects: dates; PEF; bioactive compounds; antioxidant activity; ethanolic extraction
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/7/9/585

The current study was aimed to observe the influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the extraction of bioactive components; antioxidant activity and physicochemical properties of date palm fruit extract (DPFE) as compared to the extract untreated by PEF. The fruit was treated with PEF (frequency: 10 Hz, time: 100 µs, pulses number: 30, electric field strength (EFS): 1, 2, and 3 kV/cm. The results show that PEF has a positive impact on the total content of carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and phenolics by increasing the EFS. DPFE treated with PEF exhibit a strong antioxidant activity as compared to untreated extract, while electrical conductivity, pH values, and titratable acidity were not affected by PEF. The results indicate a notable increase in the volatile components in DPFE treated with PEF at 3 kV/cm. Thus, PEF treatment can assist the ethanolic extraction of DPFE to improve the bioactivity and antioxidative activity. These findings suggest that PEF can be a more suitable technique to enhance solvent extraction on a commercial basis.