Dates: Production, Processing, Food, and Medicinal Values

ISBN-13: 9781439849453 / Angielski / Twarda / 2012 / 442 str.

A. Manickavasagan; M. Mohamed Essa; Ethirajan Sukumar

Opis

Of the many varieties of date palms, the species Phoenix dactylifera Linn. is cultivated extensively and traded and consumed worldwide. Dates: Production, Processing, Food, and Medicinal Values draws from a broad spectrum of contributors to present a comprehensive survey of this particular species. The book explores a range of essential facets of what many consider to be a wonder plant-from its cultivation to its potential for medicinal purposes. Divided into four parts, the book begins by examining cultural practices and their implications for date quality. The contributors discuss tissue culture studies, farm water management, mechanization approaches in pollination and harvesting operations, and marketing aspects. The second section focuses on postharvest operations such as drying and explores alternatives for methyl bromide fumigation and value-added products. It also reviews biofuel production from by-products and discusses the issue of waste generated from industry. The third part of the book highlights the physical, chemical, and structural characteristics of dates. It reviews fermentative products that use dates as substrate, discusses the fruits as a substitute for added sugar in food, and explores date palm feeding to livestock. The final section discusses the possibilities for nutritional and medicinal use and reviews the use of dates in indigenous medicine. Exploring essential properties and agricultural implications, this volume is a reliable resource for understanding the many aspects of the Phoenix dactylifera Linn.

Spis treści

Production. An Overview of Date Palm Production. Tissue Culture Studies in Date Palm. The Date Palm Genome Project at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Water Management in Date Palm Groves. Fertilizer Application in Date Palm Cultivation. Environmental Concern in Date Palm Production from Atmospheric Trace Metal Contamination. Salinity Problems and Their Management in Date Palm Production. Insects in Date Palm Field and Their Management. Mechanization in Date Palm Pollination. Design Concepts for Date-Harvesting Process. Dates Marketing. Processing. Drying Characteristics, Rehydration, and Color Changes of Palm Fruits During Storage. Solar Tunnel Dryer: A Novel Dryer for Dates. Processing of Dates by Dehydration and Microwave Drying. Quality Assessment of Dates by Computer Vision Technology. Nonchemical Methyl Bromide Alternatives in Dates’ Processing Sector. Processing of Dates into Value-Added Products. Exploring the Possibility of Biofuel Production from By-Products and Wastes Generated from Date Industry. Food. Physical Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Date Palm Fruits. Sorption and Structural Characteristics of Date Palm Fruit. Fermentative Products Using Dates as a Substrate. Dates: Potential Substitute for Added Sugar in Food. Use of Date Palm By-Products in Feeding Livestock. Medicinal Values. Dates: A Fruit from Heaven. The Functional Values of Dates. Nutritional and Medicinal Value of Date Fruit. Uses of Date Palm in Ayurveda. Dates in Indigenous Medicines of India. Antiamyloidogenic Effect of Dates Grown in Oman with Reference to Their Possible Protection against Alzheimer’s Disease. Index.