Carob pods are believed to be the locusts
consumed by St. John the Baptist, hence the
name St. John’s bread. Seeds were used in
ancient times as weight units for gold from
which the termcaratis reportedly derived.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Pod pulp contains 30–40% total fiber,^1
30–60% (usually 40–50%) sugars mainly
composed of sucrose (up to 26% in pulp),
fructose (13%), xylose, maltose, dextrose,
inositols, among others; proteins; amino acids
(alanine, proline, valine, etc.); gallic acid; fats;
starch; abscisic acid (a plant growth inhibitor);
and others.1–5Carob pods also contain high
quantities of dietary fiber^1 and polyphenols,
including proanthocyanidins,^6 catechin, ()-
epicatechin gallate, ()-epigallocatecin gal-
late, gallic acid, quercetin, and ellagic acid.
The fiber component (derived from the water-
insoluble fraction of the pods) contains 3.94%
polphenols (dry weight), including gallotan-
nins, cinnamic, ferulic, gallic (1.65%),p-cou-
maric, and syringic, acids; flavones (luteolin,
apigenin, and chrysoeriol), flavanones (genis-
tein, isoflavone, and naringenin), flavonols
(isorhamnetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and
quercetin), and flavonol glycosides (quercetin
arabinoside and others).^7
The seeds contain protein, a high content of
essential fatty acids (mostly oleic, linoleic,
and palmitic acids), tannins, gum (a galacto-
mannan), and others.3,8–10The protein is lo-
calized in the embryo and cotyledons while
the gum is present mainly in the endosperm
(LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER).
PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES
Rats fed preparations of carob pods rich in
dietary fiber along with a high-fat diet showed
significantly lower serum cholesterol levels
and greater fecal mass compared to controls.^11
A tannin-rich carob pod preparation also
lowered cholesterol levels in rats.^12 Rats fed
a diet containing 15% carob gum lost weight
compared with control animals and showed
decreases in blood glucose, plasma cholester-
ol, and insulin levels, along with an increase in
glucose tolerance.^13
An infusion of the pods inhibited the
in vitroproliferation of mouse hepatocellular
tumor (T1) cells and induced apoptosis in the
cells.^14 The crude polyphenol fraction of car-
ob pods exhibitsin vitrolipid peroxidation-
inhibiting, antioxidant, and free radical
scavenging activities.^15
Selective in vitrobinding to peripheral
benzodiazepine receptors was found from a
methanol extract of the pods, as well as an
extract of the leaves.^16
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
in patients diagnosed with hypercholesterol-
emia, a preparation of carob pulp rich in
insoluble fiber (15 g/day) significantly low-
ered total and LDL-cholesterol levels. How-
ever, triglyceride levels were only lowered in
the female patients and total cholesterol levels
decreased by 4% in the females versus only
1% in the male patients.^17
Infants aged 3–21 months diagnosed with
acute diarrhea treated with a carob pod
powder containing 40% tannins (1.5 g/kg/day)
showed a significant increase in normal defe-
cation and a faster return to normal body
temperature and weight and the cessation of
vomiting compared to placebo.^18TOXICOLOGYThe addition of carob bean gum (9.5 g) to the
normal daily diet of healthy humans (ages
19–25 years) was found to significantly reduce
the absorption of iron, calcium, and zinc, but
not copper.^19USESFood. Carob has served as an emergency
food and as a sweet for children^7 and was
used by the ancient Egyptians to make beer
(MANNICHE). Carob flour and carob extractsCarob 143