Edible wild carob as a source of nutrients in food production

Abstract

A tropical fruit of the pea family Fabaceae, carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) attracts attention for its high nutritional and biological value. Fruits of the carob tree are rich in natural sugars, especially sucrose, fructose, and glucose. In addition, its glycemic index is low, and it does not include caffeine in the composition. Numerous studies have proved that carob has antiatherogenic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Carob having high antioxidant capacity may serve as an effective compound in the production of foods recommended to people suffering from various chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Carob fruits can be considered a functional ingredient and may be used as a source of biologically active compounds to produce functional foods for particular nutritional requirements. Due to various phenolic compounds that are similar to those found in cocoa, this fruit is a potential replacer of cocoa in several cocoa- and chocolate-based products. The chapter provides a detailed review of the data available in the literature on the chemical composition of carob fruits, and also describes the technologies for using this plant material in the preparation of various food products.