Medicinal value of dates

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Article about medicinal value of dates:
Thus, safe and effective approach is needed to prevent the diseases development and ... Therapeutic effects of date fruits ( Phoenix dactylifera ) in the prevention of diseases via modulation of anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-tumour activity. Received 2014 Jan 29, Accepted 2014 Feb 13, Collection date 2014.

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IJCEM Copyright © 2014. PMCID: PMC3992385 PMID: 24753740. Abstract. The current mode of treatment of various diseases based on synthetic drugs is expensive, alters genetic and metabolic pathways and also shows adverse side effects. Thus, safe and effective approach is needed to prevent the diseases development and progression. In this vista, Natural products are good remedy in the treatment/management of diseases and they are affordable and effective without any adverse effects. Dates are main fruit in the Arabian Peninsula and are considered to be one of the most significant commercial crops and also have been documented in Holy Quran and modern scientific literatures. Earlier studies have shown that constituents of dates act as potent antioxidant, anti-tumour as well as anti-inflammatory, provide a suitable alternative therapy in various diseases cure. In this review, dates fruits has medicinal value are summarized in terms of therapeutic implications in the diseases control through anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and ant-diabetic effect. Keywords: Dates fruits, medicinal plants, anti-tumour activity. Introduction. Cancer and diabetes is an economical burden worldwide. The exact cause of the development of these types of diseases/disorder is not known completely but it might be due to the genetic alteration and metabolic disturbance [1-7]. The treatment approach for the cancer and diabetes based on allopath is expensive and also shows an adverse effect. Alternative approach as safe, effective and affordable is needed to control the disease development and progression. Natural products are a good remedy as they are inexpensive and easy to access without any complications. In Islam, herbs and its constituents has important value in diet and treatment of various types of diseases. The Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) used various herbs and recommended various medicinal plants for cure of various diseases [8,9]. Dates fruits are used as staple food in the Middle East for thousands of years (Figure 1). Various types of dates are found worldwide mainly Khodry, Khalas, Ruthana, Sukkary, Sefri, Segae, Ajwa, Hilali and Munifi (Figure 2) and each type of dates has shown medicinal value in various type of disease prevention. Dates and their constituents show a role in diseases prevention through anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial activity. Figure 1. Figure 2. Types of dates: A: Ajwa, B: Sukhary, C: Sabaka, D: Munifi. Antioxidant activity is recognized due to the wide range of phenolic compounds present in dates including p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids, flavonoids, and procyanidins [10,11]. Other study showed that palm date fruits constitutes thirteen flavonoid glycosides of luteolin, quercetin, and apigenin at different stages of maturity [12,13]. Ajwa, types of dates that is only cultivated in Saudi Arabia/Al-Madinah Al-Munawara and have significant value in several types of diseases cure and also show protective role in hepatic toxicity [14]. In this review, dates fruits has medicinal value are summarized in terms of therapeutic implications in the various types of diseases through anti-oxidant, anti-cancerous and ant-diabetic character. Historical overview of dates ( phoenix dactylifera ) Dates ( Phoenix dactylifera ) are one of the members of the palm family Arecaceae, or Palmae [15]. The species name dactylifera “date-bearing” originate from two words, one from greek dáktulos “date” [16] and the stem of the Greek verb ferō [17]. The date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L. ) is one of oldest cultivated plants of human kind and used as food for 6000 years [18]. There are more than two hundred varieties [19] of dates available worldwide. It is the main crop in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Middle Eastern countries. It is thought that the native origin of dates is around the Persian Gulf, and has been cultivated from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt as early as 4000 BCE. Due to the old historical prospective of date, the exact date of origin is very difficult to identify [20]. Most likely it originated 4000 BC from the ancient Mesopotamia area (southern Iraq) or western India [21]. Another report regarding the origin of dates is pre-Islamic archaeology, south-eastern Arabia was predicated upon the domestication of the date palm in 2500 BC [22]. Over all the origin of dates is very old as per the information from the religious books and literature reports. Another support of the ancient times of the date palm is Egypt’s Nile Valley where it was used as the symbol for a year in Egyptian hieroglyphics and its frond as a symbol for a month [23]. Earlier report also showed that old background of dates as date cultivation in Mehrgarh around 7000 BCE and in the Indus Valley around 2600 to 1900 BCE [24]. The fruits of dates has important place in religion. In Islam dates fruits are used to break the day long fast during the holy month of Ramadan [25]. The Jews believe the date as one of the seven holy fruits and they celebrate Palm Sunday. Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) said that the best assets is date palm, dates cure several disorders, and he suggested Muslims to eat the date and have a tendency the date palm [26]. The importance of dates has been documented in the Qur’an in Surah Maryam. One significant role of dates comes as when Mary gave birth to the Prophet Jesus (may peace be upon Him) under a palm tree, she heard a voice telling her: “Shake the trunk of the palm tree towards thee: it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon thee. Eat, then, and drink, and let thine eye be gladdened!” (Qur’an 19: 25-26). Ajwa is a types of dates, cultivated only in Saudi Arabia/Al-Madinah Al-Munawara and have significant value in diseases cure. The health benefit of Ajwa dates has been documented in hadith as Saud (R.A) narrated that I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “If Somebody takes seven Ajwa dates in the morning, neither magic nor poison will hurt him that day [27]”. Role of dates in disease prevention via anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activity (Figure 3) Figure 3. Pharmalogical activities of dates fruits in diseases control. Anti-oxidant activity. Antioxidants are chemicals/materials that interact and deactivate the free radicals, therefore preventing them from causing harm. The prevention of actions of free radical is important step in the management of disease. Medicinal plants and their constituents play a vital and significant action to neutralize or inhibit the free radical by the use of antioxidant activity. Experimental studies support the role of reactive oxygen species in cancer and dietary antioxidants as well as endogenous antioxidants shows a vital role as cancer preventive agents via neutralization of reactive oxygen species [28,29]. Another study also showed that plant phenolic compounds including flavonoids are effective antioxidants with reported anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic effects [30,31]. Dates fruits have high composition of carbohydrates, salts and minerals, dietary fibre, vitamins, fatty acids and amino acid gives a unique value in human nutrition [25]. On the Other side, date pit powders are a source of choice to people preferring a non-caffeinated coffee with coffee-related flavor [32]. Date palms play a significant role in neutralization of free radical and finally suppress the various types of diseases development and progression. Earlier investigation found that palm date has a potent ability to suppress free radicals [33,34]. A recent report showed that aqueous extracts of dates have antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-mutagenic activity [10,35-37]. An important finding showed that dates constitutes good source of antioxidant [38] and another study has shown that dates have the highest concentration of polyphenols among the dried fruits [39].

Medicinal value of date fruit

Medicinal value of dates

Medicinal properties of dates