PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY, AND ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY OF ALGERIAN DATE (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) SEED EXTRACTS IN WISTAR RATS
NADIA BOUABDALLAH, FATIMA ZOHRA BABA AHMED *, YOUCEF BENDIAF, LAMIA CHAOUI BOUDGHANE, SALIM HABI, ABDELWAHEB MEBARKI, SAMIRA BOUANANE
Laboratory of Physiology, Physiopathology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, Earth and Universe, Abou-Bekr Belkaid University of Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
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Date seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) are known for their potential health benefits due to bioactive compounds. However, their toxicity is little known. This study evaluates the antioxidant activity and acute oral toxicity of aqueous and oil extracts obtained from Algerian date seeds. Antioxidant activity was performed by using DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP assays, alongside quantification of total phenolic, flavonoid, condensed tannin, and carotenoid contents. For toxicity assessment, Wistar rats received single oral doses of 300, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg bw of each extract. Animals were observed for 14 days before organ examination and biochemical analysis. Results showed a rich composition of secondary metabolites, with the oil extract exhibiting the highest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 0.48 ± 0.03 mg/mL), outperforming the aqueous extract (IC₅₀ = 1.81 ± 0.06 mg/mL). No mortality, behavioural changes, or significant alterations in organ weights and biochemical parameters were observed at any dose. These findings confirm that Algerian date seed extracts exhibit noteworthy antioxidant properties and present no acute oral toxicity under the experimental conditions. Their phytochemical richness and demonstrated safety support their potential use as valuable raw materials for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
