International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2015): 6.391 Volume 6 Issue 11, November 2017 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Proximate Composition of Stored Dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Infested with Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) Musa Buba 1 , Stanley O. N. Dimkpa 2 , Usman Zakka 3 , Ndowa Ekoate Sunday Lale 3 1 Graduate Student, Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria 2 Department of Crop and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria 3, Department of Crop and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria Abstract: Three date cultivars Jigawa, Deglet Noor and Mali were sourced from the open market in Gombe and infested with a pair of 2-3 days old O. surinamensis L. for 14 weeks to evaluate the effect of infestation on their nutrient composition. Nutritional status of fresh un-infested dates were also analysed before the onset of the experiment to determine their initial nutritional contents. The result shows significant increase in carbohydrates in dates after 14-weeks of storage but a decrease in in content with infestation. Findings of the research further show significant difference in nutritional composition of un-infested and infested dates after 14 weeks. Carbohydrate ranged from 74.2±0.2 to 66.7±0.6 and moisture from 12.4±0.4 to 16.2±0.1 in un-infested and infested dates respectively. In addition, percentage stored date ash content, fat, crude protein and crude fibre all decreased after infestation. Degree of post infestation carbohydrate status of the three date cultivars was in the descending order: Infested Mali cultivar < infested Deglet Noor cultivar < infested Jigawa cultivar. On the overall, carbohydrate content of infested dates, which constitutes about 70% of dates reduced significantly by O. surinamensis infestation, as well as the other parameters considered except moisture. Keywords: Oryzaephilus surinamensis, dates, nutritional composition, infestation 1. Introduction Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) belongs to the Arecaceae family which has up to 200 genera and 1500 species (Dowson, 1982; Al-daihan and Bhat, 2012). The date palm, whose origin is said to be the tropics and sub-tropics probably the Middle East, Western India and Iraq (Barrow, 1998), is one of the earliest crop plants that has been cultivated for its fruit for at least 5000 years B. C. (Khalid et al., 2011), while the name Phoenix itself is thought to be of Greek origin meaning purple or red fruit, and, dactylifera from another Greek word daktulos from the fruit‟s finger- like appearance (Zaid et al., 2002). In northern part of Nigeria, where the palm is grown, it is locally called „dabino‟ in hausa language (Al-daihan and Bhat, 2012). Date palm was one of the first five fruit trees to be domesticated along with olive, grapevine, fig, and pomegranate. These plants are known as members of the “first wave” of domesticated fruit trees which led to the increase in fruit and pulp quality and to a shift from sexual to vegetative propagation (Jaradat, 2011). Dates as a fresh fruit ranked number five in the list of tropical/sub-tropical fruits after citrus, mangoes, bananas, and pineapples, while as a dried fruit, it is on top of the list (Popoola, 2013). The date palm is considered a symbol of life in the desert, because it tolerates high temperatures, drought and salinity more than many other crops (Lunde, 1978). Appropriately called “the palm of life”, the date palm has provided food, ornament and material for shelter, fibre and fuel in harsh environments where few other plants are able to grow (Popenoe, 1973, Hodel and Pittenger, 2003). Date palm is considered an important source of food in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries which is why it is seen as native to countries around the Arabian Gulf (Al-Qarawi et al., 2004, Al-Farsi et al., 2005). Dates are nutritious, high-energy food, and important part of the diets of people in the Arab countries and are consumed fresh, dried, or in various processed forms (Kader and Hussein, 2009). Numerous studies have been conducted to study the benefits of dates, either from its fruit or seed, and it has been found to possess several highly beneficial properties such as antiviral, antifungal, antioxidant and hepato-protective activities (Al-Farsi and Lee, 2008). Specifically, its seed contains essential fatty acids (Boukouada and Yousfi, 2009). The health and nutritional benefits of dates are attributed to the rich content of antioxidants in the fruits such as the coumaric acid and ferulic acid; moreover, it contains flavonoids, sterols, procyanidins, carotenoids, anthocyanins, sugar (glucose, sucrose, fructose), dietary fibres, less protein and fats, vitamins such as riboflavin, biotin, thiamine, ascorbic acid, folic acid, and minerals for example calcium, iron, copper, cobalt, magnesium, fluorine, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, boron, sulphur, zinc and selenium within the date itself (Baliga et al., 2011, Anjum et al., 2012, Vayalil, 2012, Al-Hooti et al., 1995). In general, dates are considered to be a good source of sugars where they are used as date syrup in cake production instead of sugar Akubor and Yusuf (2007). In spite of the aforementioned qualities, the date palm and its fruits, like other agricultural produce, often come under attack by several arthropod (insect and mite) pests (Lale, 2002). Attack on stored dates often results in both qualitative Paper ID: 19111701 DOI: 10.21275/19111701 1958