Determination of Ubiquinone,10 in Ten Different Sorts of Iraqi dates Phoenix dactylefra at Different Stages of Fruit Maturation

The saponification extraction method was applied for the isolation and identification of CoQ10 in 10 different sorts and at 4 different maturation stages of Iraqi dates. The purification of the extract was done applying column chromatography (CC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC) as well as final recrystallization from ethanol. The identification was done applying HPLC, HPLC/MS, NMR and UV spectroscopy. It was found that, for different sorts different CoQ10 concentrations exist. The highest concentration was found for the Zahdi (most common and cheapest) sort. The relative CoQ10 content increases from the initial “hababuk- kermi” stage to the final and ripe date fruit.