This study aimed to investigate the impact of Phoenix dactylifera (dates) on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Drosophila melanogaster. AD is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that causes memory loss. It is hypothesized that incorporating dates into the diet of genetically modified Drosophila (fruit flies) expressing the amyloid precursor protein (APP) would alleviate memory loss. The experimental design involved four groups: wild-type flies and three APP-modified groups receiving 0%, 2%, and 4% date concentrations in their diet. A T-maze with olfactory learning assessed the flies’ memory retention by associating a positive reinforcement with a banana odor and a negative reinforcement with an electrical shock. The flies were tested every other day over a 12-day period, and their initial entries were recorded and analyzed for results. The results indicated that the wild-type flies preferred the conditioned arm (odor), confirming the validity of the T-maze as a test to correlate cognition. Flies with the 4% date concentration had a P-value of .95 when compared to wild type. This suggests that flies with the 4% date concentration significantly improved memory performance. However, flies receiving 0% and 2% date concentrations showed fluctuating entries into the conditioned arm with a P-value of 1, suggesting no improvement in memory. These findings indicate that the hypothesis was partially supported, with the 2% date concentration having no effect, but the 4% slowing cognitive decline in the Drosophila models. This study provides an avenue for further research on dates and their impact on AD.

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