Ethnopharmacological relevance: Date seeds are widely used in Moroccan traditional medicine for treating obesity and related diseases.

Aim of the study: Two date seed varieties (Jihel and Majhoul) were assessed for their phenolic profile and lipid-lowering activity.

Materials and methods: The polyphenolic profile was determined using HPLC-DAD. Triton-WR-1339 and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidaemic rats were used to evaluate the hypolipidaemic effect of date seeds extracts. Serum lipid profile was measured using automatic biochemical analyser.

Results: Rutin, quercetin, p-coumaric and caffeic acids were the most prevalent chemical among the analysed phenolic compounds. Serum lipids: Total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were lowered and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were increased by date seed methanolic extract (at 200 mg/kg) in triton WR1339 -induced hyperlipidaemia in experimental rats. Chronic feeding of these extracts (at 200 mg/kg), to animals concurrently fed with high fat diet (HFD) for three weeks, caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels and atherogenic index, while it increased serum HDL-C. Furthermore, the supplementation of date seed extract was effective in preventing body weight gain.

Conclusions: These findings are suggestive of hypolipidaemic and atherosclerosis prevention roles of Jihel and Majhoul date seeds.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Date seeds; Dyslipidaemia; Fat diet; Obesity; Triton.