Comparative Study of Physicochemical and Nutritional Properties of Vinegar Produced From Date Palm and Cherry Fruits

Vinegar is a globally consumed condiment whose final quality is intrinsically linked to its raw material. The physicochemical and nutritional profiles of vinegars derived from many fruits remain insufficiently documented, particularly for underutilized yet nutritionally dense substrates such as Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) and Prunus avium (cherry). Given the distinct compositional matrices of these fruits, characterized by differing sugar profiles, organic acid contents, and phenolic compounds, this study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the quality and composition of vinegar produced from their extracts. Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain SR 128) and acetic acid bacteria (Acetobacter aceti strain WI) were isolated from spoiled fruits and utilized to ferment the respective fruit musts via submerged fermentation. Standard gravimetric and instrumental methods were employed to analyze key physicochemical and proximate nutritional parameters. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey's post-hoc test at a 95% confidence level. Results showed only slight variations in measured parameters between the two vinegars, which were statistically non-significant (p > 0.05). The compositional ranges were: moisture (98.70–99.55%), ash (0.27–1.11%), protein (0.10–0.12%), and fat (0.06–0.08%). All parameters for both samples conformed to established quality standards. Therefore, the prepared vinegar samples from PA and PD had physicochemical and nutritive parameters that conformed with the stipulated standard, and the sample prepared from PD was slightly better.