Antioxidant potential of essential oil from Phoenix dactylifera (L.) seed

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the initiation and progression of a plethora of diseases including atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Due to the toxic and mutagenic side effects of some synthetic antioxidant compounds, intense interest is recently converged on natural antioxidants. This study therefore aimed at evaluating the antioxidant potential of essential oil extracted from Phoenix dactylifera seed. Phoenix dactylifera seed essential oil (PDEO) was extracted via steam-distillation technique. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was assessed by radical scavenging, lipid peroxidation and reduction power assays. From the results obtained in this study, P. dactylifera essential oil showed significant concentration dependent antioxidant potential with maximum activity at 500 µg/ml viz: DPPH radical scavenging (76.24 ± 0.12 %), ABTS radical scavenging (68.97 ± 0.36 %), Nitric oxide radical scavenging (67.86 ± 0.16 %), Hydroxyl radical scavenging (68.70 ± 0.26 %), Fe2+ chelating ability (66.74 ± 0.25 %), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (262.29 ± 0.253 mMol FeSO4/g) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (67.78 ± 0.29 %). Findings from this study revealed that essential oil from Phoenix dactylifera seed elicits substantial antioxidant activity and may serve as a veritable pharmacological candidate towards prevention of free radical related pathological damages.