Table 2.
The chemical components of carob and their biological evaluation
| Group of Chemical Constituents/Individual Substances | Biological Evaluation of Constituents/Disease | Carob Parts/Fraction | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| LBG/galactomannan | Gastrointestinal effects | Seed endosperm | [5,6,7,8] |
| d-Pinitol | Anti-diabetic activity | Carob pulp | [29,71] |
| Soluble and Insoluble Dietary Fiber Polyphenols/Gallic acid, Gallotannins, Flavonol Glycosides | Glycemic control, Enhanced lipid metabolism, Lowers total and LDL cholesterol | Carob Pulp | [30,31] |
| Insoluble Dietary Fiber Polyphenols/Tannins, Cellulose, Semicellulose, Lignin, Pectin | Cholesterol metabolism, Enhances lipid oxidation, Lowers postprandial acylated ghrelin | Carob Fiber | [72,73] |
| Polyphenols/ Gallic acid, Catechin, Myricetin rhamnoside, Eriodictyol glucoside, Quercetin glucoside, Quercetin rhamnoside | Anticancer effects | Carob Fiber | [32] |
| Polyphenols—Alkaloids/(+)-Catechin; Gentisic acid; Chlorogenic acid; Catechol; Ferulic acid; Gallic acid; Myricetin; Methyl gallate; Quercetin; Rutin; Syringic acid; Theophylline; Vanillin | Cytotoxic activities | Germ Flour Extracts (seed) | [31] |
| Fiber | Nutritional utilization, Induction of lipodemia | Carob Fiber | [33] |
| Fiber | Hyperlipidemia effects | Carob fiber | [31,74] |
| Tannins—Polyphenols | Anti-diarrheal effects | Carob pod | [34] |
| Tannins—Pectin | Anti-diarrheal effects | Carob bean juice | [75] |