24.02.2020

First metabolite profiling of roasted date pits proves their suitability as a coffee substitute.

IPB chemists and Egyptian scientists recently carried out first scientific investigations regarding the suitability of roasted date pits as a coffee substitute. For this study, they analyzed the metabolite profile of commercially-roasted date pit products, along with unroasted and home-prepared roasted date pits. For comparison, roasted coffee beans were included in the analysis. As a result of headspace SPME-GCMS analysis, the scientists found furans, pyrans, terpenoids and sulfur compounds as volatile metabolites of date pits, whereas pyrroles and caffeine were completely absent. Profiling of primary metabolites revealed enrichment of fatty acids in roasted pits versus enrichment of sugars in coffee. Neuropharmacological studies of roasted date pits showed no CNS-stimulating effects on mice. The study provides first insights into the impact of roasting on date pits’ metabolome and their suitability as coffee substitutes from a neuropharmacological perspective.

Date pits are used as animal feed and their oils have proved to be an excellent biofuel source. Their use as a coffee substitute is particularly widespread in the Arab countries.

Reference:
Mohamed A. Farag, Asmaa M. Otify, Aly M. El-Sayed, Camilia G. Michel, Shaimaa A. ElShebiney, Anja Ehrlich & Ludger A. Wessjohann, Sensory Metabolite Profiling in a Date Pit Based Coffee Substitute and in Response to Roasting as Analyzed via Mass Spectrometry Based Metabolomics. Molecules 2019, 24(18), 3377; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24183377