Nutritional characterization of carobs and traditional carob products

Papaefstathiou, E.; Agapiou, Agapios; Giannopoulos, Stelios; Kokkinofta, Rebecca

doi:10.1002/fsn3.776

Cited by 84 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Seventeen basic nutritional parameters were examined: moisture, ash, fat, proteins, sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose), dietary fibers and minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn). For the respective determinations, the following experimental procedures were followed; however, more details can be also found at [22].…”

Section: Nutritional Composition Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of Chemometrics for Correlating Carobs Nutritional Compositional Values with Geographic Origin

et al. 2020

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Carobs unique compositional and biological synthesis enables their characterization as functional foods. In the present study, 76 samples derived from fruit and seeds of carobs, with origin from the countries of the Mediterranean region (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Jordan and Palestine) were analyzed for their nutritional composition, in order to identify potential markers for their provenance and address the carobs' authenticity issue. Moisture, ash, fat, proteins, sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose), dietary fibers and minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) were estimated following official methods. Due to the large number of data (76 samples × 17 parameters × 7 countries), chemometric techniques were employed to process them and extract conclusions. The samples of different geographical origin were discriminated with 79% success in total. The carobs from Cyprus, Italy and Spain were correctly classified without error. The main discriminators were found to be the dietary fibers, the carbohydrates and Cu, Zn and Mn, which emphasize their specific nutritional added value to the product and the country of origin impact. The results suggest that the proposed analytical approach is a powerful tool that enables the discrimination of carobs based on their country of origin. This research contributes to authenticity of carobs, adding value to local products.Metabolites 2020, 10, 62 2 of 11 demands. Carob flesh is rich in minerals, dietary fibers, sugars, polyphenols, D-pinitol and with low fat content, whereas the seed is abundant with locust bean gum (E 410), a natural hydrocolloid widely used in the food industry [3][4][5][6][7]. The chemical composition of carob flesh is presented in Table 1; however, these values are affected by various practices and factors (e.g., farming, genotyping, climate, soil, etc.). Environmentally speaking, the wide presence of carobs in the Mediterranean region can be attributed to combat the negative effects of climate change. The biological importance of carob leaves as a potential antifeedant was recently revealed [8]. The complexity of carob metabolome in combination with origin, ripening and roasting was studied using hyphenated state-of-the-art liquid and gas mass spectrometric systems [9]. The positive biological effects of carobs in the gastrointestinal tract, consumed either as water diluted food [10] or as an alcoholic drink [11], is still triggering the interest of researchers. Last but not least, is the carob's unique sensorial characteristics, as both the fruit and the carob-products, are associated with a strong and persisting unique aroma [12].

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Section: Nutritional Composition Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cyprus, is considered among the top-10 carob producing countries, with a long history on carob production and processing. Thus, a wide array of traditional carob foods and products are developed, advantaging the unique nutritional properties of carob fruit [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Chemometrics for Correlating Carobs Nutritional Compositional Values with Geographic Origin

et al. 2020

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“…Also, carob can be used as a livestock feed in agroforestry systems. This tree was widely known as the "black gold" of several Mediterranean regions owing to its beneficial by-products for humans [5]. Currently, carob is included in the European Union (EU) and Australia aid programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Mediate Drought Tolerance and Recovery in Two Contrasting Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Ecotypes by Regulating Stomatal, Water Relations, and (In)Organic Adjustments

Boutasknit

Baslam

Ait-El-Mokhtar

et al. 2020

Plants

101

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Irregular precipitation and drought caused an increase in tree mortality rates in multiple forest biomes with alterations in both ecosystem services and carbon balance. Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) growth and production in arid and semi-arid ecosystems are likely affected by climate change-induced droughts. Understanding the physiological responses of drought-induced early-stage tree death and strategies to enhance drought tolerance and optimize growth will help tree improvement programs. Mycorrhizal inoculation has a pronounced impact on plant growth, water absorption, mineral nutrition, and protection from abiotic stresses. However, a better understanding of these complex interconnected cellular processes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-mediated mechanisms regulating drought tolerance in plants will enhance its potential application as an efficient approach for bio-amelioration of stresses. The objectives of this work were to elucidate the different effects of autochthone AMF on inorganic solute and water content uptakes, organic adjustments (sugar and proteins content), leaf gas exchange (stomatal conductance and efficiency of photosystems I and II), and oxidative damage of two contrasting ecotypes of carob seedlings: coastal (southern ecotype (SE)) and in-land (northern ecotype (NE)) under control (C), drought (by cessation of irrigation for 15 days (15D)), and recovery (R) conditions. Our findings showed that AMF promoted growth, nutrient content, and physiological and biochemical parameters in plants of both ecotypes during C, 15D, and R conditions. After four days of recovery, stomatal conductance (gs), the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), water content, and plant uptake of mineral nutrients (P, K, Na, and Ca) were significantly higher in shoots of mycorrhizal (AM) than non-mycorrhizal (NM) control plants. Consequently, AMF reduced to a greater degree the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxidative damage to lipid (malondialdehyde (MDA)) content in AM than NM plants in NE and SE, after recovery. Altogether, our findings suggest that AMF can play a role in drought resistance of carob trees at an early stage by increasing the inorganic solutes (P, K, Na, and Ca), water content uptake, organic solutes (soluble sugars and protein content), stomatal conductance, and defense response against oxidative damage during re-watering after drought stress.

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“…Carob pods have been important in the diet of farm animals and have been eaten by humans throughout history in the Mediterranean (Zohary ; Tous et al ). Larger fruit size and high edibility (Papaefstathiou et al ) may have been reasons carob seeds were far more common in carnivore scats at the SECIL‐Outão quarry than seeds from Strawberry tree and Common myrtle as well as olives that were not found. Indeed, despite our intensive sampling effort, we could not gather an acceptable number of carnivore‐ingested seeds of these fleshy‐fruited species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endozoochory of a dry‐fruited tree aids quarry passive restoration and seed soaking further increases seedling emergence

Salgueiro

Silva

Eufrázio

et al. 2020

Restoration Ecology

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As practitioners promote passive restoration as a complementary approach to technical reclamation, it is imperative to know its drivers. Although the consequences of endozoochory can be crucial to passive restoration success, few experimental studies assess the use of heavily disturbed sites by seed dispersers such as carnivores and how the seeds they bring in emerge and survive. Using an indoor sowing experiment conducted in a quarry located within a natural park in Portugal, we examined for the first time how carnivore endozoochorous seeds collected in the quarry potentially influence its passive restoration, through effects on plant emergence and survival. Also, we tested whether sowing date and water soaking, relevant factors when sowings are to be carried out, would affect seedling emergence and mortality rates when compared with the effect of endozoochory. Our target species were included in the revegetation plan of the quarry, of which endozoochorous seeds of Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) were collected in sufficient number for analysis. Irrespective of the carnivore species, endozoochorous carob seeds performed similarly to untreated seeds regarding emergence rates. Endozoochorous carob seedlings showed greater mortality rates but the net result for the plant can still be the colonization of recently vacant habitats by a large proportion of viable seeds. Concerning sowing date, the later carob seeds were sown over the fruit-ripening season the faster seedlings emerged. Water soaking increased emergence rate by 6.5 times. Broadly, sowings with previous soaking and carnivore-mediated seed dispersal of this dry-fruited tree can jointly enhance quarry restoration. Implications for Practice• Restorers can undertake pilot sowing experiments prior to large-scale revegetation campaigns to identify which species benefit the most from endozoochory. • Carnivores in the surroundings of a quarry contribute a large proportion of viable seeds, likely assisting quarry passive restoration. • Carnivores ingesting carob seeds later in the fruiting season may assist quarry passive revegetation more readily as seeds ingested around that time emerge earlier. • Immersion in tap water is a simple, inexpensive, and highly efficient method to break physical dormancy when carob seed sowings are to be carried out in degraded sites.

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Nutritional characterization of carobs and traditional carob products

Cited by 84 publications

References 18 publications

Use of Chemometrics for Correlating Carobs Nutritional Compositional Values with Geographic Origin

Use of Chemometrics for Correlating Carobs Nutritional Compositional Values with Geographic Origin

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Mediate Drought Tolerance and Recovery in Two Contrasting Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Ecotypes by Regulating Stomatal, Water Relations, and (In)Organic Adjustments

Endozoochory of a dry‐fruited tree aids quarry passive restoration and seed soaking further increases seedling emergence

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