Nutritional value, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of date syrup fortified with spirulina

Dates and spirulina are two famous foods due to their richness in various nutrients and antioxidant compounds with very important therapeutic and nutritional effects. The aim of this study is to develop nutritious date syrup “Alig” fortified with spirulina. Firstly, a hedonic test of date syrups with spirulina at 2, 5 and 10% was carried out to evaluate the sensory properties of each sample and to choose the appropriate formulation. Then, the values ​​of pH, titratable acidity (TA) and humidity, as well as the contents of total solids (TS), proteins, ash, lipids, sugars and carbohydrates of date syrup, spirulina and the chosen date syrup/spirulina formulation were determined. The total polyphenol (TPC) and condensed tannin (CTC) contents as well as the antioxidant and the antibacterial activities of these samples were also evaluated. Results showed that compared to the syrup without spirulina, the syrup enriched with 2% spirulina has the highest TS, ash, total lipids, proteins, TPC, and CTC, as well as pH and TA values, beside the most important antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In parallel, the present results indicate that this syrup is more interesting from the point of view energy value with 329.79 Kcal/day for 100 g of fresh syrup. We could conclude that date syrup fortified with 2% spirulina have very interesting nutritional value and could attribute to numerous health benefits.