ABSTRACT
Abstract Phoenix dactylifera L. has traditionally been used as a medicine in many cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional properties, aromatic compounds, total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of ten ripe date fruit varieties grown in Tunisia. Sugar profiles were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, while fatty acid compounds were detected by gas chromatography and aromatic compounds were analyzed by GC-Electron Impact Mass Spectroscopy. Total phenolic contents were measured using colorimetric methods, whereas antioxidant capacities were evaluated in vitro using DPPH and ABTS radicals. It has been found that total sugars are the predominant component in all date varieties, followed by moisture, along with moderate amounts of proteins, ash, and fats. Multivariate tests based on the volatile compounds profile showed significant differences among varieties. Between the sixty-two volatile compounds detected, alcohols, aldehydes and unsaturated hydrocarbons constituted the main chemical classes. The date varieties exhibited strong antioxidant potential that correlated with phenolic content. In conclusion date varieties can play a major role in human nutrition and health because of their wide range of valuable nutritional components and natural antioxidants that could potentially be considered as a functional food ingredient.
ABSTRACT
Different Islamic populations have different alimentary habits, notably during Ramadan. The paper reports the change of diet, lipids, and lipoproteins produced during Ramadan in one Tunisian population. During Ramadan, the study subjects consumed more proteins, cholesterol, vitamin E (p<0.01), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (p<0.05). At the same time, they exhibited an increase in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p<0.01) and apoprotein B (p<0.05) and a decrease in the ratio of apoprotein AI to apoprotein B (p<0.01). All assayed saturated fatty acids were unaffected by Ramadan fasting while three unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1cis9, C18:2n-6, and C30:4n-6) increased significantly. A return to the habitual diet for a four-week period was not sufficient to restore the pre-fasting patterns. For the study subjects, Ramadan was clearly associated with a change of diet and biochemical profile but its effective impact on atherosclerosis risk was unclear, perhaps, because other non-alimentary changes ought to be considered too. Future studies considering the non-alimentary factors, such as sleep and physical activity, would be useful to clarify the contribution of dietary change in the observed modification of biological profile.
ABSTRACT
Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein [CETP] facilates the exchange of triglycerides [TG] and cholesteryl ester between lipoproteins particles. Diabetic subjects have been reported to have higher TG levels and lower high density lipoprotein-cholesterol [HDL-C] levels which contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in some of these patients. The CETP activity was shown to be more important in a group of 93 non insulino-dependant diabetics with coronary artery disease than in a group of 92 healthy subjects [p = 0.033]. Several polymorphisms have been reported in the CETP gene. The common Taq IB polymorphism is associated with decreased CETP activity and increased HDL-C. We have observed a frequency of 0.31 for B2 allele in deference to those reported in subjects from Caucasian population. An association between the presence of the B2B2 genotype, decreased CETP activity and increased of plasma HDL-C was observed in healthy subjects but not in diabetics with coronary artery disease