EFFECT OF BOILING ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF DESERT DATE SEED FLOUR

Desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca) is a species of tree, classified as a member of Balantaceae and it is traditionally used as food and in the treatment of various ailments such as jaundice, syphilis dysentery and constipation. Desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca) from Kawo market in Kaduna State, Nigeria was evaluated for the effect of boiling on the chemical composition of Desert Date seed flour (Balanites aegyptiaca) using standard methods. Samples were washed, pulverized using mortar and pistle. Samples were solvent extracted using methanol at 80 o C for 6 hours and concentrated under reduced pressure with the aid of rotary evaporator. Both extracts were analysed for mineral, antioxidant and cytotoxic contents. Eight (8) Minerals composition of fresh and boiled desert date flour (Balanites aegyptiaca) were analysed using AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy). Amongst the mineral content analysed, magnesium (Mg) was the highest in amount (0.230 mg/g) in fresh sample of the desert date from Kawo market and chromium (Cr) was the least for the fresh sample while sodium (Na) recorded the highest in amount (0.900 mg/g) in boiled sample of the desert date from Kawo market and the least in amount (0.000 mg/g) were recorded for manganese (Mn) and magnesium (Mg) respectively. This could be as a result of the solubility of the mineral in boiled water. Fresh desert date had higher antioxidant property for the three methods used in the determination of which DPPH Assay had the highest (50.46 mg/g). Cytotoxic activity against all analysed cancer cell lines, revealed that sample had highest inhibitory activity of the desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca) after 24 hours in both boiled and fresh sample of amount (32.4 %) and (97.9 %) respectively. The results of this study showed the efficacy of Desert Date seed flour (Balanites aegyptiaca) extracts in the inhibition of the growth of cancer cells. This can be a very promising anticancer drug and an alternative for synthetic anticancer drug for human because of its cytotoxic efficacy, abundance and annual renewability.