Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of carob flours from Ceratonia síliqua and Prosopis alba species

SALINAS MV; PUPPO MC; CARBAS B.F.; SERRANO C; RICARDO CP; PATHANIA S; PASSARINHO JA; BRITES C

Congreso; 13º Encontro de Química dos Alimentos: Disponibilidade, valorização e inovação: uma abordagem multidimensional dos alimentos; 2016

Ceratonia siliqua L. and Prosopis alba Griseb are two species of the Leguminosae family, commonly known by carob trees, that produce pods whose flours are used in food industry, as cocoa substitute and in confectionery, beverages and other food products derived from cereals. The aim of this study was to compare and characterize the physical and chemical properties and the antioxidant activities of the two commercial carob flours. Prosopis alba flour exhibited high content of protein, starch and fat. In contrast, Ceratonia siliqua flour revealed a lower content of these compounds, and higher antioxidant activity. By using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to analyse the aquous extracts of the two carob flours we conclude that they have similar content of sucrose, but Ceratonia siliqua has more monosaccharides and pinitol. This compound is an important inositol with benefic physiological effects by improving glycaemic control and with great potential to be a valuable ingredient in food industry. Ceratonia siliqua shows better nutritional potential than Prosopis alba flour, owing to the dietary fiber, phenolics, pinitol and antioxidant activity and these results put in evidence the advantage of using the commercial supplements already available in healthy food formulations.