Ajwa Dates Reduce Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Children with Autism: A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial
Metwally, A., Salah El-Din, E., Abdel Raouf, E., Elsaied, A., Ashaat, E., Yousef, W., Elkhatib, A., Elshaarawy, G., Shehata, M., El-Sonbaty, M., Attia, H., Goda, A., Al Swailem, S., Ibrahim, N., El Etreby, L., Anwar, M. (2024). Ajwa Dates Reduce Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Children with Autism: A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial. EKB Journal Management System, 67(12), 585-599. doi: 10.21608/ejchem.2024.329150.10649
Ammal Mokhtar Metwally; Ebtissam M Salah El-Din; Ehab R Abdel Raouf; Amal Elsaied; Engy A Ashaat; Walaa Yousef; Alshaimaa A Elkhatib; Ghada A Elshaarawy; Manal A Shehata; Marwa El-Sonbaty; Hanaa R.M. Attia; Amira A Goda; Saleh M Al Swailem; Nihad A. Ibrahim; Lobna A. El Etreby; Mona Anwar. "Ajwa Dates Reduce Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Children with Autism: A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial". EKB Journal Management System, 67, 12, 2024, 585-599. doi: 10.21608/ejchem.2024.329150.10649
Metwally, A., Salah El-Din, E., Abdel Raouf, E., Elsaied, A., Ashaat, E., Yousef, W., Elkhatib, A., Elshaarawy, G., Shehata, M., El-Sonbaty, M., Attia, H., Goda, A., Al Swailem, S., Ibrahim, N., El Etreby, L., Anwar, M. (2024). 'Ajwa Dates Reduce Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Children with Autism: A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial', EKB Journal Management System, 67(12), pp. 585-599. doi: 10.21608/ejchem.2024.329150.10649
Metwally, A., Salah El-Din, E., Abdel Raouf, E., Elsaied, A., Ashaat, E., Yousef, W., Elkhatib, A., Elshaarawy, G., Shehata, M., El-Sonbaty, M., Attia, H., Goda, A., Al Swailem, S., Ibrahim, N., El Etreby, L., Anwar, M. Ajwa Dates Reduce Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Children with Autism: A Six-Month Randomized Controlled Trial. EKB Journal Management System, 2024; 67(12): 585-599. doi: 10.21608/ejchem.2024.329150.10649

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

Egyptian Journal of Chemistry
Volume 67, Issue 12, December 2024, Page 585-599  XML PDF (1.52 MB)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/ejchem.2024.329150.10649
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Authors
Ammal Mokhtar Metwally email orcid 1; Ebtissam M Salah El-Din2; Ehab R Abdel Raouforcid 3; Amal Elsaiedorcid 4; Engy A Ashaatorcid 5; Walaa Youseforcid 6; Alshaimaa A Elkhatiborcid 7; Ghada A Elshaarawyorcid 1; Manal A Shehataorcid 2; Marwa El-Sonbatyorcid 2; Hanaa R.M. Attiaorcid 8; Amira A Goda9; Saleh M Al Swailem10; Nihad A. Ibrahim1; Lobna A. El Etreby1; Mona Anwarorcid 11
1Community Medicine Research Department/Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
2Child Health Department/ Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
3Department of Child with Special Needs/Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
4Clinical Genetics at Department of Children with Special Needs- National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
5Clinical Genetics Dept./ Human Genetics and Genome Research Institute, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.
6Biological Anthropology Department, Institute of Medical Research and Clinical Studies, NRC
7Child Health Department/ Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt,
8National Research Centre, Clinical and Chemical Pathology Dept., Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, Centre of Excellence, Cairo, Egypt
9Department of food Contaminants and Toxicology/Food Industry and Nutrition Research Institute/National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
10President of Ethq Agri. Develop. and Land Reclam. co. 33 Abdel Khaleq Tharwat St. Abdeen, Cairo, Egypt
11Department of Basic Sciences and Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Heliopolis University, El Salam City, Egypt.
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.
Keywords
Antioxidant Activity; Ajwa Dates; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Nutritional Intervention; Reactive oxygen species; MDA/SOD Ratio; MDA/GPx1 Ratio
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