ORIGINAL PAPER Fatty Acids, Sterols, Phenols and Antioxidant Activity of Phoenix theophrasti Fruits Growing in Crete, Greece C. C. Liolios & G. T. Sotiroudis & I. Chinou Published online: 22 November 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008 Abstract In the present study we report the chemical composition of the Cretan Phoenix theophrasti Gr. fruits, in comparison with dates, from its close relative Phoenix dactylifera L. for their nutritional value and their potential exploitation as a source of bioactive components such as phytosterols, lipids and polyphenols. The non polar dichloromethane (CH 2 Cl 2 ) extract of the fruits was ana- lysed by several techniques (TLC, CC, GC and GC-MS) and was found to consist mainly from fatty acids, hydro- carbons and phytosterols. Palmitic acid was the most abundant fatty acid, 12.49% of total saponifiables, while β-sitosterol was the most prevalent phytosterol, 29.46% of total unsaponifiable lipid fraction. The polar methanolic extract was examined for its total phenolic content, by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay, as well as for its antioxidant activity through DPPH assay, in comparison with previous studies on the fruits of several Phoenix dactylifera varieties. This fraction was found to possess strong antioxidant activity despite its lower content of phenolic compounds in comparison with previously studied Phoenix dactylifera specimens. Keywords Antioxidant activity . Fatty acids . Phoenix theophrasti . Phytosterols Abbreviations CC column chromatography FAME fatty acid methyl esters GC gas chromatography GC-MS gas chromatography mass spectrometry NMR nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy NP non polar extract P polar extract SFA saturated fatty acids TLC thin layer chromatography Introduction Dates, the fruits of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) are a vital element of the daily diet in the Arabian world. The Cretan date palm or Phoenix theophrasti Gr. (Fig. 1) was considered the same species (a wild or a feral type) with Phoenix dactylifera L. until 1968, when the botanist Greuter [1] identified it as a different species of Phoenix. Through international bibliography, three main cultivar groups of P. dactylifera have been described mainly according to sugar content of their fruit: (1) soft type (e.g. ‘Barhee’), (2) semi-dry type (e.g. ‘Dayri’), and (3) dry type (e.g. ‘Thoory’). Although the fruits of P. theophrasti reach the state of Khahal (Arabic term referring to the mature full coloured fruits) and Rutab (soft brown fruits) (Fig. 2) in accordance to P. dactylifera there are no official data as to their nutritional exploitation by the locals. On the contrary there are historical data that the plant owes its origins to Byzantine, Egyptians or Arabs soldiers/traders who ate its fruits and left the seeds of the plant in the Cretan island. The fact that seeds of P. theophrasti dated to 7500 BP have been discovered in Atti Yamon (coast of Israel) [2], add to Plant Foods Hum Nutr (2009) 64:52–61 DOI 10.1007/s11130-008-0100-1 C. C. Liolios : I. Chinou (*) Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacognosy, Chemistry of Natural Products, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece e-mail: ichinou@pharm.uoa.gr G. T. Sotiroudis Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, The National Hellenic Research Foundation, 116 35 Athens, Greece