Carob bean (Ceratonia siliqua L.): a new perspective for functional food

Background: Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is an evergreen tree that belongs to the Leguminosae family and is typical of the Mediterranean basin. It is well known for its valuable locust bean gum obtained from carob seeds. However, the food industry can obtain different carob products from carob fruit after processing. Carob products are good sources of dietary fibre, sugars, and a range of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and D-pinitol. Scope and approach: Bioactive compounds present in carob fruit and its derived products help control many health problems such as diabetes, heart diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders due to their anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. So, carob products have a great potential to be used as a functional food ingredient. Key findings and conclusions: This article focuses on carob characteristics and processing, chemical composition, health benefits, and applications in food formulations to explore the potential of carob in developing a wide variety of health-beneficial food products.