Abstract
This research presents a thorough analysis of the nutrients and anti-nutrients contained in different products from Algerian carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua L. (pod, pulp, seeds and leaves). Other parameters such as moisture, ash content and calorific value were also determined. The main purpose was to characterize these products derived from carob tree and analyze their possible valorization in several fields such as chemical, energy or medical industries. The results show that these products contain low amount of crude lipids (2.4–4.5%), moderate amounts of protein (4–7.4%) and high levels of total sugar (up to 66.6%). The compositional analysis reveals high nutritional values but, at the same time, it is also worth underscoring their high content in anti-nutrients: (i) trypsin inhibitor (6.4–7.3 mg·g−1); and (ii) phytic acid (0.6–0.94 mg·g−1). This work quantifies these two secondary metabolites in carob tree products for the first time. Finally, based on the results obtained, a process scheme is proposed for the complete use of carob tree products, including the use of anti-nutrients (trypsin inhibitors and phytic acid) for bio-medical applications since many research studies support that these compounds have great potential in this field.
Highlights
The carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is an evergreen shrub or tree native to the Mediterranean region, which is cultivated for animal and human consumption
The environmental role of carob pod tree is attracting attention since it can be used in reforestation actions to revalorize marginal lands, as a substitute for drought sensitive species and as carbon dioxide sinks to mitigate global warming effects [3,4]
The seeds were removed from 1 kg of carob pod to obtain pulp sample, and another kg of carob pod was milled with the seeds to obtain pod sample
Summary
The carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is an evergreen shrub or tree native to the Mediterranean region, which is cultivated for animal and human consumption. The environmental role of carob pod tree is attracting attention since it can be used in reforestation actions to revalorize marginal lands, as a substitute for drought sensitive species and as carbon dioxide sinks to mitigate global warming effects [3,4]. Carob tree offers the advantage of growing in poor and unfertile soils in the Mediterranean region and in the other parts of the world and do not require much water for irrigation. The annual production of carob pods ranges from 374,800 to 441,000 tons with an average productivity of 2000–3500 Kg/ha, depending on the growing region and farming practices, being Spain, Italy and Portugal the main producers [6,7]
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