SOME PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF DATE FRUIT VARIETIES

In this study, some physico-chemical properties of date fruits were determined. Moisture contents of date pulp ranged between 13.43% (Khalas) and 16.17% (Sugei). Fat content of date pulp was found from 0.32% (Sugei) to 0.38% (Sukary), crude oil of seeds ranged 4.35% (Sugei) to 4.51% (Khalas). Sucrose and reducing sugar contents of date pulp were 57.17% and 42.83 % for Sukary, 0.59 % and 99.41 % for Khalas and 1.13% and 98.86% for Sugei, respectively. „L‟ values ranged between 49.93 (Khalas) and 50.69 (Sukary), while „a‟ values varied between 12.12 (Sugei) and 12.61 (Khalas). The date pulp oil contain from 15.86% (Sugei) to 24.16% (Khalas) palmitic acid, from 5.99% (Sugei) to 9.3% (Khalas) stearic, 23.88% (Sukary) to 27.31% (Sugei) oleic acid, from 30.1% (Khalas) to 35.99% (Sugei) linoleic acid, and from 10.7% (Khalas) to 14.8% (Sugei) linolenic acid.