Abstract
Abstract The aim of this study was to fortify date palm spathes beverage with pollen grains. The nutritional quality and sensory attributes of the developed products were evaluated. The results showed that pollen grains significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the nutritional and sensory qualities of date palm spathe beverages. With minor exceptions, fortification of spathe beverage with pollen grains significantly (P < 0.05) increased the levels of protein, carbohydrate, fat, total dissolved solid (TDS), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), selenium (Se) and vitamins A, E, and C as well as the antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP) especially with 5% pollen grains. However, fortification reduced the levels of turbidity, boron (B), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and molybdenum (Mo). In terms of the colour, taste, and texture of the beverages, the panellists has no preference between the control beverage and 5% pollen grains. The highest overall acceptance was found for the control beverages without pollen grains, followed by those with 5% pollen grains. Overall, the inclusion of pollen grains in the formulation of date palm spathe beverage could enhance the nutritional quality without substantially influencing the sensory acceptability of the beverages.