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. 2023 May 24;61(4):621–630. doi: 10.1007/s13197-023-05765-5

Nutritional, biochemical and health properties of Locust beans and its applications in the food industry: a review

Kamar Nasrallah 1, Sanaa Khaled 1,4, Sami El Khatib 2,3, Maha Krayem 1,4,✉
PMCID: PMC10894154  PMID: 38410274

Abstract

The Locust Bean (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is an ancient Mediterranean fruit that is used to make locust bean gum from seeds, which is a popular ingredient in many foods today. Locust Bean fruit and Gum are rich in bioactive compounds that can be helpful in the treatment of conditions involving the digestive system, as well as cancer, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. The locust bean gum is a polysaccharide extracted from the endosperm of the locust bean seed through different thermomechanical or chemical processes. It is an approved food additive with the European number E410 and a number of different food uses. It is a galactomannan and it is frequently used in dairy products for its water-binding and thickening properties to improve their rheological properties. This review aims to study the functional, and nutritional characteristics of Locust Bean Gum, the extraction of Locust Bean Gum, as well as its applications in the food sector and its impacts on dairy product processing.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05765-5.

Keywords: Locust bean gum, Polysaccharides, Processing, Physiochemical, Food applications

Introduction

The use of natural food ingredients as a source of biologically active compounds with proven health benefits that can be included in the human diet is growing in favor in the food business. The carob tree, often known as the Locust Bean tree is a major element of the Mediterranean vegetation. The high antioxidant, polyphenol, and fiber content of locust bean fruit and its derivatives have been shown to improve human wellbeing and assist in the avoidance of several chronic disorders. They have antiproliferative action against cancer cells, anti-hyperlipidemia, antidiabetic properties, and the prevention of gastro intestinal illness (Papaefstathiou et al. 2018). The pulp and the seeds are the two main components of the fruit. The seeds are frequently used to produce locust bean gum. This gum is obtained from the endosperm of the seed through different thermo-mechanical or chemical processes to remove the husk, followed by splitting, milling, filtering, clarifying, grading, and packaging (Barak and Mudgil 2014).

Hydrocolloids, have been employed to improve the texture and quality of food while also extending its shelf life. Locust Bean Gum is a polysaccharide with a high molecular weight that is made up of mannose and galactose units. Polysaccharides are efficient hydrocolloid stabilizers that are commonly used in the food industry as thickeners, emulsifiers, or gelling agents (Urdiain et al. 2004).

This review aims to study the Locust Bean Gum biochemical composition and health advantages, find the Locust Bean Gum applications in the food industry, and explore the impacts of Locust Bean Gum on the processing of dairy products. Finally, it will explore the uses of Locust Bean Gum as a food additive.

Locust bean overview

Locust Bean or Carob is a natural substance which has attracted the interest of scientists not only because of its health benefits, but also because of its economic and environmental implications. Locust Bean fruit contains a variety of pharmaceutically important compounds. The products that are obtained from Locust Bean are very beneficial for maintaining human health and could be related to the prevention and treatment of many disorders (Zhu et al. 2019).

Locust bean

The Locust Bean tree or Carob tree is a specie of the Fabaceae family. It is a long-lived, thermophile, evergreen like many Mediterranean plants. Carob has been cultivated for at least 4000 years in the Eastern Mediterranean. It develops in the Mediterranean region, as well as Western Asia and the Middle East (Battle and Tous 1997).

The scientific name of the Carob tree is Ceratonia siliqua L., derived from the Greek term keras, which indicates horn, and the Latin word siliqua, which describes the firmness and shape of the pods. Carob has been coined other names, it is also known as St. John’s bread or Locust Bean, named after St. John that used it ‘locusts’ as food (Smith 2013).

Locust bean fruit

Carob pods are fruits of the Locust Bean tree, which are the most commonly used part in the food industries. The two constituents of the pod are the pulp which represents about 90% and the seeds which represent about 10% of the fruit content (Makris and Kefalas 2004). As shown in Fig. 1, mature pods are brown, wrinkled, and leather. The pulp is made up of the pericarp, which is the outer layer, and the mesocarp, which is the inner layer (Zhu et al. 2019). The non-fleshy, bean-shaped fruits, known as "Carob pods," are a typical Mediterranean ingredient, where the plant has been farmed for its edible fruits in the region for generations (Brassesco et al. 2021). The fruit develops slowly, taking 9 to 10 months to mature. The green pods sprout in September–October, and reach maturity around July–August when they become ready for harvesting (El Kahkahi et al. 2016).

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

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The major parts of Locust Bean tree: the pulp" mature pods", and seeds (Image taken from Tyre, Lebanon 2022)

Locust bean seeds

Seeds have recently received a lot of attention. The major focus is on gum extraction from the kernel endosperm (Rodríguez-Solana et al. 2021). Seeds grow transversally in the pod, divided by a mesocarp. Each seed consists of a germ, an endosperm and a husk (Rodríguez-Solana et al. 2021). Kernels are extremely hard and plentiful, have a compressed lobed form, 8–10 mm long, 7–8 mm width, and 3–5 mm thickness; the outer layer is firm and silky with a glossy brown color as shown in Fig. 1 (Battle and Tous 1997).

Production of locust bean

The global production of the Locust Bean is relatively around 315,000 tons/year, with yields varying greatly based on the climate, genotype of the plant and the cultivation style. The biggest grower of Locust Bean is Spain, followed by Italy, Portugal, Morocco, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Algeria, and a few other countries (El Batal et al. 2016).

Biochemical composition

The biochemical composition of pulp varies according to cultivar, region, harvesting season, and environmental factor (Karababa and Coşkuner 2013). The locust Bean fruit is composed of cyclitols, polyphenols, sugars, fibers, amino acids, gum, and minerals, which are significant bioactive components (Goulas et al. 2016). The specifications of these substances are presented in the following section.

Sugars

Carob pods have a high total sugar content and are often utilized as a raw resource in syrup extraction. The major sugar residues are: sucrose 65–75%, glucose 15% and fructose 25%, and a minor concentration of maltose and xylose sugars. Carob pods have a greater sugar content than beet or cane, ranging from 200 to 500 g per kilogram (Petit and Pinilla 1995).

Cyclitols

D-pinitol is the major cyclitol, cyclic sugar alcohol that has been identified as a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of insulin resistant illnesses such as Diabetes (Oziyci et al. 2015). Because Locust Bean fruit is a good source of d-pinitol, multiple extraction methods have been developed, including different chromatographic separation techniques (Goulas et al. 2016).

Minerals

The fruit of the locust bean is high in potassium and calcium. Carob fruit contains significant levels of iron, manganese, zinc, and copper, with low levels of phosphorus and magnesium. In addition, seeds have larger levels of macro- and microminerals than their pods (Ayaz et al. 2009).

Fibers

Locust Bean fibers are mostly insoluble and not fermentable like dietary fibers, with just a minor quantity of soluble dietary fibers. Instead of chemical groupings, insoluble dietary fiber from Locust beans is often characterized as a mixture of chemically diverse compounds with physiological functions. The primary components are polysaccharides cellulose and hemicellulose (Zhu et al. 2019).

Polyphenols

Locust Bean fruit contains 41 different phenolic compounds. The three main types of phenolic active compounds in the fruit are tannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids (Papagiannopoulos et al. 2004). Phenolic acids are divided into benzoic and cinnamic acids, which are the most common classes of polyphenols. Tannins are the polyphenols that contribute to the astringency of the fruit, and the most diverse category of phenolics are flavonoids (Makris and Kefalas 2004).

Amino acids

Locust Bean fruit is a good source of essential amino acids needed for the homeostasis of the human body. It contains valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, threonine, and methionine that meets the World Health Organization (WHO) protein requirements (Valero-Muñoz et al. 2019).

Gum

Locust Bean Gum (LBG) is extracted from the grinding of the endosperm of the seeds. It is a galactomannan polysaccharide composed of mannose (77–78%) and galactose (21–23%). The locust seed has a high concentration of gum up to 85% (Zhu et al. 2019). LBG is used in many food applications. It has thickening, fat-replacing and stabilizing functions and has been categorized by FDA as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) (Soma et al. 2009).

Potential health benefits and traditional medical uses of locust bean fruit

Many researchers have identified a variety of physiological interactions of the Locust Bean fruit and its derivatives that may be useful to humans in terms of enhancing health and managing or lowering the risk of particular chronic diseases (Papaefstathiou et al. 2018).

The fruit of the Locust Bean is rich in nutrients, including fibers that are beneficial to gut health, polyphenols, and tannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds have been linked to the management of gastrointestinal tract disorders, cancer, hyperlipidemia, and diabetic disorders (Theophilou et al. 2017).

Benefits of locust bean for the digestive system

The Locust Bean dietary fibers are known to have physiological effects on gastro intestinal system. Fibers can improve digestion, and it is used in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Theophilou et al. 2017). The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action of locust pod polyphenols help in lowering the risk of intestinal inflammation, with a considerable effect in reducing the severity of ulcers and curing ulcerative colitis (Kumazawa et al. 2002).

The juice of Locust Bean is rich in electrolytes including sodium, potassium, manganese, iron and zinc that can be helpful in treating the symptoms of diarrhea, such as dehydration (Rtibi et al. 2016). Tannins also inhibit bacterial development in the colon and therefore eliminate diarrhea (Theophilou et al. 2017).

LBG present in the seeds is effective in the treatment of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux in newborns. It enhances the viscosity of food due to its thickening action, thus decreasing the acid reflux and decreasing the vomiting frequency in infants (Georgieva et al. 2016).

Anti-carcinogenic activities

Locust Bean anti-proliferative and anti-carcinogenic activities are related to the presence of a range of polyphenolic compounds in the pulp at around 20% of the total (Rtibi et al. 2017). These activities vary depending on the maturity of the Locust Bean and the solvent used in the extraction procedure. Unripe pods contain high levels of tannins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids which enhance the anti-oxidant actions. The concentration of extracted myricetin obtained from ripe whole fruits is effective against cancer cell proliferation (Gregoriou et al. 2021).

Anti-hyperlipidemia actions

Locust Beans are rich in dietary fibers that provide a number of health advantages, including lowering triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels, as well as assisting with weight loss, which has a good impact on treating hypercholesterolemia and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Deng 2009). Locust Bean fiber has been shown to be effective in decreasing the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol levels in blood stream. This is due to the high concentration of insoluble dietary fiber, including as polyphenols, cellulose, and hemicellulose, which are thought to be responsible for these effects (Zhu et al. 2019).

Anti-diabetic properties

The availability of D-pinitol in Locust Bean Gum may be responsible for the anti-diabetic benefits since it controls blood sugar levels in Type II diabetes mellitus patients by enhancing insulin sensitivity (Tetik and Yüksel 2014). Bates et al (2000) shows that the percentage of blood sugar absorption in the D-pinitol sample was approximately equivalent to the percentage of insulin infusion activity, indicating that D-pinitol displays an insulin-like actions.

Traditional medical uses

Locust Bean has traditionally been used as an efficient therapy for a variety of health issues, particularly digestive diseases. Because it is high in minerals, it is useful in the treatment of diarrhea. However, because of its laxative action, it is also used to treat constipation (Rtibi et al. 2016). Fresh pods are used as laxatives and diuretics especially in Turkey (Faki̇r et al. 2009). Also, the pods are used as hot beverage to cure cough (Oran and Al-Eisawi 2015). In Italy, unripe fruits are crushed and placed to cure wounds, and coughs were often treated with dried fruit and figs (Biscotti et al. 2021). In Lebanon Locust Bean is famous for its molasses known as Carob molasses and it was used as a sweetener and in the treatment of constipation (Baydoun et al. 2017).

Locust bean fruit processing

Locust Bean has bioactive compounds that have functional, nutritive, and flavoring characteristics. Many items can be produced from pulp or seed, such as molasses, powder, carob flour, and Gum. Thus, based on the final product different traditional and industrial processing techniques could be applied (Mahtout et al. 2018).

Fruit processing utilizing artisanal traditional methods

Locust Bean molasses is a traditional sweetener that is frequently manufactured in several Mediterranean countries, including Lebanon. It is often made by concentrating fruit juice to Brix without the addition of sugar. The fruits are washed and sun-dried, then chopped, mixed with water, macerated, and filtered. Hot water is used to extract the juice, after boiling, the mixture is left to simmer for another 30 min. The liquid is then strained through a filtering sieve and cooked until the desired Brix level is reached (Tounsi et al. 2017). Figure 2 represents the artisanal method of molasses production. In addition, the pulp of the fruit is used in the preparation of several confectionary items or as a cocoa alternative. Locust Bean flour is prepared by separating the seeds from the pods, then the pods are chopped, usually called "kibbled pods," which are finally roasted and ground to obtain a brown powder or flour with a flavor and appearance similar to chocolate (Yousif and Alghzawi 2000).

Fig. 2.

Fig. 2

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Traditional procedure of Locust Bean molasses production Modified from (Tounsi et al. 2017)

Industrial processing technique

In the factory, Locust beans are left to dry to reach 8% moisture content before being mechanically crushed to remove the seeds from the flesh part. Based on the purpose of utilization, the pulp is processed in a variety of ways. Pods are ground into various sizes at the feed plant for animal feed products (Brassesco et al. 2021). In the food industries, mechanical separation is performed to obtain kibbled pods. For Locust Bean flour manufacture, the pulp is first dehulled, and crushed into variety of sizes, then roasted, and ground into a powder. Molasses is manufactured by extracting the fruit pod with water, then draining and cooking the fluid until it reaches the required consistency.

The seeds are composed of three components: the peel, the endosperm, and the germ. For gum production, seeds are pre-treated and then separated to obtain the endosperm, which is crushed and sieved to get a fine powder. For germ meal production, seeds were soaked in boiling water for 10 min, chilled to enable swelling of the separate seed compartments, followed by separating the germ from the host and milling it into a fine powder (Siano et al. 2018). The processes and products obtained from Locust Bean pulp and seed are represented in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3

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The main processes and products obtained from the Locust Bean fruit, Modified from (Brassesco et al. 2021). LBG: Locust Bean Gum

Locust bean gum

Locust Bean Gum (LBG), often referred as Carob Bean Gum, is a galactomannan vegetable gum derived from the seed’s endosperm. LBG is a white to creamy white powder, it is a natural food additive with the European number E-410 (Theophilou et al 2017). Locust Bean Gum, tara gum, and guar gum are the most used galactomannans in food applications, with LBG having the lowest galactose level (Maier et al 1993). LBG is distinguished by its capacity to produce extremely viscous liquid in small quantities, to maintain emulsions, and to replace fat in a range of food items, including desserts, soups, and dairy products (Ben Ayache et al. 2021).

LBG processing

Locust Bean seeds' processing is challenging due to their stiff and rigid coating. There are two ways of seed dehulling, either chemical peeling or thermo-mechanical peeling. These mechanisms make it easier to separate the germ from the endosperm (Pegg 2012). Figure 4 represents different LBG extraction methods.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 4

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Schematic representation of different Locust Bean Gum extraction techniques (Modified from Dakia et al. 2008 and Kıvrak et al. 2015)

In the chemical method, seeds are placed either in sulfuric acid solution or hydrochloric acid solution at a high temperature to char the seed layer. The seed coat is removed by washing and brushing techniques to obtain peeled kernels. Kernels are dried and crushed to separate the endosperm and germ, then milled and sieved, resulting in a white powder known as Locust Bean Gum (Dakia et al. 2008).

In the thermo-mechanical method, coats are removed by the roasting of kernels in a circulating oven where the seed coat is released. The seeds are crushed, followed by separation of the endosperm and the germ, then milled and sifted to get Locust Bean powder (Kıvrak et al. 2015). Figure 5 shows the transformation of the seed during processing.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 5

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Locust Bean seeds transformations during processing (Image taken by Kamar et al. 2022)

Further steps are applied to obtain clarified LBG. The powder is purified by alcoholic precipitation using ethanol or isopropanol as follows: dissolution in hot water, straining, adding alcohol, filtering the mixture when precipitation is formed, drying at room temperature, and powder grinding (Barak and Mudgil 2014).

LBG chemical structure

Locust Bean Gum is a polysaccharide with a high molecular weight composed of galactomannan, with a Mannose/Galactose ratio of 4:1. The galactomannan constituents are a linear chain of linked d-mannopyranosyl with side-chain linked d-galactopyranosyl. LBG is slightly soluble in cold water and requires a temperature of up to 80 °C to achieve maximal dissolving and viscosity. The partial solubility in cold water can be used to fractionate the substance.

Nutritional benefits of LBG

Locust Bean Gum was initially identified as having a hypolipidemic impact. Its inclusion in the diet decreased total serum cholesterol and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (Zavoral et al. 1983). Consumption of LBG provides a sense of fullness, due to its tendency to gel and the fact that the gel generated is not digested by the gastrointestinal tract, which makes it suitable for incorporation in dietary food products (Urdiain et al. 2004).

Adverse effects and toxicology

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) evaluated Locust Bean Gum and reported it as non-toxic. On the basis of the exposure evaluation, there is no safety concern for the main applications. Humans hardly digest locust bean gum, and it is not absorbed completely. In 90-day rodent toxicity tests at the highest doses examined, no adverse effects were noted, and no carcinogenic effects were found in carcinogenicity investigations (EFSA Panel on Food additives (ANS) et al. 2017).

Food applications of LBG

Locust Bean Gum is a natural food additive suitable for use in clean label products and vegan products, it is utilized as a food ingredient for its stabilizing and thickening properties as well as to enhance the gel quality of other hydrocolloids. Since it is nonionic, not influenced by pH, salts, or thermal processing, it is used in the manufacturing of many items such as dairy products, baked goods, and beverages (Blibech et al 2015).

LBG is an edible and biodegradable natural polymer. It acts as a binding and lubricating agent in the production of edible films and coatings (Aydinli and Tutas 2000). It is also utilized in the beverage industry since it is pH insensitive and produces a high viscosity solution even at low amounts (Alves et al. 1999). LBG has been applied in the preparation of many dairy products and in low-fat products to maintain a desirable body texture, provide viscosity, and avoid ingredient separation (Early 2012). LBG is used in the manufacturing of infant formula to increase the viscosity of milk (Salvatore et al. 2018). LBG has a rheological and crumb softening effect when used in baking items, produces higher yields of baked goods, improves the finished texture, and gives the dough more viscosity (Blibech et al 2015). In the following section, only the uses of LBG in dairy products will be reviewed.

Applications of LBG in dairy products

Polysaccharides are common components in the manufacturing of various dairy products. The application of polysaccharides in milk products is to improve viscosity and thickness to offer texture and mouth feel, reducing product component deterioration and separation during storage (Phillips and Williams 2009). Locust Bean Gum is frequently applied in dairy foods for its water-binding and thickening properties, and to function as a stabilizer in various food emulsions to reduce syneresis and increase freeze–thaw stability (Early 2012).

Applications of LBG in yogurt

Yogurt is a popular and valuable product in everyday diets; it is made by fermentation of milk with lactic acid bacteria to generate a smooth curd. A crucial aspect of yogurt is its curd, or firmness, which affects the product's quality and acceptability (Sfakianakis and Tzia 2014). Stabilizer improves the texture of yogurt, as well as the appearance and delay of whey separation, it provides two key functions: water binding and texture enhancement (El- Kholy et al. 2015). LBG is used as a fat replacement in low-fat yogurt, since carbohydrate-based fat substitutes increase the water phase quality, resulting in a creamy, smooth texture and greasy sensation. The application of Locust Bean Gum to yogurt can enhance the rheological, physicochemical, and sensory qualities of the curd by improving gelation and curd structure (Aydinol Sonmez and Ozcan 2021).

The primary processing factors affecting yogurt texture fat content, starter culture type, homogenization parameters, stabilizer type, applied incubation temperature, pH during breaking, and post-product storage (Sodini et al. 2004). Yogurt's rheological properties may be defined by viscous and elastic aspects. The sensory evaluation of yogurt is determined by its rheological analysis and textural features which include the level of smoothness, coarseness, viscosity, and thickness (Ozcan 2013).

Application of LBG improves gel strength formation, resulting in good curd firmness, increasing viscosity, and minimized serum separation. Depending on the amount of LBG used, the color of the yogurt shifts from clear to white to yellow, with no influence on the flavor or odor. As a result, the application of LBG as a thickening agent and stabilizer enhanced the physicochemical and rheological parameters of yogurt (Aydinol Sonmez and Ozcan 2021), (El- Kholy et al. 2015).

Applications of LBG in ice-cream

Ice cream is a favorable dessert prepared mainly with milk, sugar, flavoring, emulsifiers, and stabilizers. The most often used emulsifiers are mono- and diglyceride fatty acids combined with a distinct stabilizer. Stabilizers are added to ice cream mixtures to prevent the movement of unfrozen water through hydrogen bonding, regulating water movement and the growth in ice crystal size when water freezes over ice crystals, which would create an unpleasant texture (Early 2012). LBG has been used in ice cream as a stabilizer, usually in combination with guar gum or carrageenan, to inhibit the formation of sugar and ice crystals, create a smooth melt, and offer thermal shock resistance (Barak and Mudgil 2014).

The rheological quality, viscosity, phase separation, foam formulation, and the melting point of an ice-cream are affected by the mix composition, processing and storing of the mix, temperature, and the kind and concentration of stabilizer (Guven et al. 2003). LBG has a positive impact on increasing mix viscosity, improving aeration and body, limiting ice crystal formation during storage, and managing melt-down rates. It disperses easily in the cold mixes and does not require any special preparation, generates a desirable medium viscosity that is not affected by agitation, has strong heat-shock resistance, and has no effect on ice cream taste or flavor masking, easily incorporates air into the mix, and cools consistently. LBG is characterized by high water absorption, resulting in a superior body creamy, fine texture, and chewiness to ice cream (Tan et al. 2021).

Application of LBG in processed cheese

In processed cheeses and their substitutes, hydrocolloids are frequently used; they are necessary to the production of their ultimate structure. Processed cheeses are prepared by heating a blend of cheeses, emulsifying salts, dairy fat, stabilizers, and water. The application of Locust Bean Gum in cheese spreads and melted cheese products is intended to bind the water, resulting in a solid, spreadable, and very homogeneous product of exceptional quality (Yousefi and Jafari 2019). K-carrageenan, Locust Bean Gum, and other hydrocolloids significantly increased system viscosity without creating a gel. LBG is applied in several types of cheese known for its ability to minimize syneresis, increase firmness, and regulate water, and as a fat substitute by creating a texture similar to pure cheese (Černíková et al. 2010).

The visco elastic aspects of processed cheeses can be impacted by a variety of parameters, including the total dry fat amount in dry matter amount, type and quantity of emulsifier, use of stabilizer, pH value, and manufacturing conditions (Hanáková et al. 2013). The analysis of the rheological properties of LBG use in processed cheese covers the following characteristics, consistency, springiness, adhesiveness, chewiness, and hardness, resulting in a fine homogenous cheese with a good body and texture that is smooth and durable. LBG has been proven to speed up coagulation, increase the yield of curd solids, and make curd separation and removal easier. The buffering function of the acidified LBG solution, which acts as a protective colloid and maintains a steady pH in the finished cheese, is thought to be responsible for these improved qualities (Sołowiej et al. 2014).

Conclusion and recommendations

Hydrocolloids has become an important element of the food business in recent years, LBG was frequently employed in conjunction with certain other hydrocolloids, including carrageenan and xanthan gum, to produce a gel with greater flexibility and strength (Maier et al. 1993).

Locust Bean Gum was ideal for a variety of food applications because it enhanced the texture and other functional aspects of the product by controlling the water phase. Since LBG could bind water. It was an excellent choice for frozen products such as ice cream since it inhibited and reduced the size of ice crystal formation (Early 2012). LBG was used to improve the smoothness and spreadability of cream cheese and cheese spreads, and to accelerate the coagulation process and increase curd output (Černíková et al. 2010). LBG was used in the production of yoghurt; it minimized syneresis, controlled whey separation, and maintained water holding capacity without altering the flavor and odor of the yogurt (Gyawali and Ibrahim 2016).

LBG had multiple uses in the food business; it enhances the physicochemical characteristics of processed foods, maintained their quality, and it was cost-effective. LBG is a great source of fiber and phenolic compounds, which are advantageous for the treatment of digestive, cardiovascular, and diabetic diseases, so it can be used to manufacture dairy-based dietary fiber-rich foods with affordable quality.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 68 KB) (68.4KB, docx)

Abbreviations

LBG

Locust bean gum

JECFA

FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives

Author contributions

The first and last authors have contributed equally in writing, editing and reviewing the manuscript. All the authors have reviewed the manuscript.

Funding

No funding is available for this work.

Data availability

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Footnotes

Publisher's Note

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