Ajwa Dates Reduce Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Children with Autism: A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial

Metwally, Ammal Mokhtar; Salah El-Din, Ebtissam M; Abdel Raouf, Ehab R; Elsaied, Amal; Ashaat, Engy A; Yousef, Walaa; Elkhatib, Alshaimaa A; Elshaarawy, Ghada A; Shehata, Manal A; El-Sonbaty, Marwa; Attia, Hanaa R.M.; Goda, Amira A; Al Swailem, Saleh M; Ibrahim, Nihad A.; El Etreby, Lobna A.; Anwar, Mona

doi:10.21608/ejchem.2024.329150.10649

Ajwa Dates Reduce Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Children with Autism: A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Community Medicine Research Department/Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

² Child Health Department/ Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

³ Department of Child with Special Needs/Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.

⁴ Clinical Genetics at Department of Children with Special Needs- National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.

⁵ Clinical Genetics Dept./ Human Genetics and Genome Research Institute, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.

⁶ Biological Anthropology Department, Institute of Medical Research and Clinical Studies, NRC

⁷ Child Health Department/ Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt,

⁸ National Research Centre, Clinical and Chemical Pathology Dept., Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, Centre of Excellence, Cairo, Egypt

⁹ Department of food Contaminants and Toxicology/Food Industry and Nutrition Research Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

¹⁰ President of Ethq Agri. Develop. and Land Reclam. co. 33 Abdel Khaleq Tharwat St. Abdeen, Cairo, Egypt

¹¹ Department of Basic Sciences and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Heliopolis University, El Salam City, Egypt.

10.21608/ejchem.2024.329150.10649

Abstract

Background: Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced antioxidant defenses contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Ajwa dates (Phoenix dactylifera) are recognized for their antioxidant properties, which may help neutralize free radicals and mitigate oxidative stress.

Aim: This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effects of Ajwa date consumption on oxidative stress markers in 131 Egyptian children with autism aged 3 to 12 years. The study compared changes in oxidant/antioxidant balance ratios between date-consuming and non-date-consuming groups. Additionally, it explored the relationship between autism severity and the effectiveness of date regimens in reducing oxidative stress, investigated long-term effects post-intervention, and assessed how baseline characteristics influence responses to date intake.

Method: Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: consuming three dates per day (47 children), five dates per day (42 children), or serving as a non-date control group (42 children). The intervention spanned 24 weeks, including a 12-week active consumption phase followed by a 12-week follow-up to assess long-term effects. Blood samples were collected at baseline, after 12 weeks of intervention, and 12 weeks post-intervention to measure oxidative stress markers, such as Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx1), and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Results: Ajwa date consumption significantly improved oxidative stress markers in children with autism, independent of dose. After 12 weeks, both date regimens led to significant reductions in MDA/SOD and MDA/GPx1 ratios (p < 0.001). Compared to the non-date group, 82% of children in the date groups showed improvement, versus 40.5% and 47.6% in the non-date group for the MDA/SOD and MDA/GPx1 ratios, respectively (p < 0.01). The improvements were particularly pronounced in children with moderate to severe autism. While oxidant/antioxidant balance slightly declined three months post-intervention, it remained significantly better than baseline levels.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that Ajwa dates can effectively reduce oxidative stress markers in children with ASD, , independent of dose. Residual benefits persisted after discontinuing Ajwa date intake, though less pronounced than those observed during the intervention period. The improvements were strongly associated with date intake, regardless of baseline characteristics, suggesting that Ajwa dates are a promising complementary treatment for managing oxidative stress in children with ASD.

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