Abstract
Date seeds/ kernels are currently used in the feeding of animals such as cattle, sheep, and camel, and in the poultry and fish industries as well. Due to the presence of a large quantity of total dietary fibre they are considered to have potential health benefits for human as prebiotics. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seed products in the form of (i) the finely ground date seeds powder (FGDSP) and (ii) the aqueous extract of date seed powder (AEDSP) on the growth of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactobacillus paracasei ssp paracasei as probiotics. Subsequently, to investigate the prebiotic properties of the date palm (Phoenix dactyifera L.) seed product i.e dietary fibre concentrate (DFC) in stimulating the growth of the probiotic. The total numbers of bacterial populations at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of fermentation were checked for each sample during the fermentation period. The data obtained clearly demonstrated that both the form of test date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) viz. FGDSP and AEDSP could be used as a carbon source for bacterial fermentations. The DFC presented the potential to be applied as a novel source of prebiotics, by increasing the population of Lactobacillus paracasei ssp paracasei as probiotics in addition to decreasing the pH values. This research proposed that date seeds could potentially be utilized as a starting material to manufacture functional food ingredients especially as they are a common waste product, especially in Middle Eastern countries. Hence, further investigations should be carried out to identify active biological molecules in date seeds and their potential application in encouraging the growth of probiotics and other health benefits.