Carob pod insoluble fiber exerts anti-atherosclerotic effects in rabbits through sirtuin-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α

Carob Extract (Ceratonia siliqua L.): Effects on Dyslipidemia and Obesity in a High-Fat Diet-Fed Rat Model

Dyslipidemia and obesity are recognized as two of the major global health issues and main risk factors for coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. In recent years, carob has shown certain antioxidant and anti-dyslipidemic potential. In this study, Wistar rats were fed with a standard and cholesterol-enriched diet and treated orally with carob extract and simvastatin for four weeks. After sacrifice, blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis, and liver tissue was taken for histological and immunohistochemical assessment. Weight gain was significantly higher in groups fed with cholesterol-fortified granules; total cholesterol was found to be significantly lower in the hypercholesterolemic groups treated with simvastatin and simvastatin/carob combined regimens compared with hypercholesterolemic animals treated with saline (p < 0.05). The same was true for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the LDL/HDL ratio (p < 0.05). Adiponectin was remarkably higher in animals treated with simvastatin compared to all other groups (p < 0.05). Leptin was significantly lower in groups treated with carob and simvastatin compared to the hypercholesterolemic group treated with saline (p < 0.05). Carob/simvastatin co-administration reduced hepatocyte damage and improved liver morphology. A study confirmed the anti-dyslipidemic, anti-obesity, and hepatoprotective potential of carob pulp alone or in combination with simvastatin in the treatment of high-fat diet-fed rats.

Nutritional, biochemical, and clinical applications of carob: A review

Carob is botanically called as Ceratonia siliqua and belongs to the Legumes family. The fruit is derived from hermaphrodite trees and hard in shape. The carob contains high sugar contents in pulp, fat in seed and minerals like potassium, calcium, and phosphorus are present in pods. Polyphenols and antioxidants are abundant in leaves and pods. It can be used for enhancing human health due to its high nutritional profile. Carob gum is used in the pharmaceutical industry in the form of pomades, anti-celiac ingredients, pills, and dental paste. The clinical carob can aid as an anti-cancer, anti-reflux, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal. Nowadays, carob seeds are being used as an alternative to cocoa powder in food items whereas the leaves, pods, and seeds of carob are also historically used as food for animal feed. However, these parts of carob are available in markets with reasonable prices. Carob production, though with a rising contribution, contributes to the local economy. In this sense, we can incorporate knowledge on the chemical properties and the biological effect of carob fruits on human health. In this study, the supportive and health-promoting impacts of carob are discussed along with the clinical testing obtained from natural constituents of carob. In addition, further studies can be performed to extract and separate polyphenols and antioxidant potential for the development of functional that play a valuable role in pharmaceutical and food sectors.

Optimization of a novel, gluten-free bread's formulation based on chickpea, carob and rice flours using response surface design

This study aimed to develop nutritious, gluten-free bread with high quality characteristics using a mixture of chickpea, carob and rice flours as substitutes of wheat flour. To optimize the bread formulation, a Box-Behnken experimental design was conducted to evaluate the effect of the corresponding flour blend addition, proofing time and water amount addition on the physicochemical, technological and sensory properties of the obtained formulated bread. The optimized formulation was calculated to contain 70% of mixture flour and 100% of water, with a proofing time of 40 minutes. This formulation produced bread with greater specific volume ( 3.73 ± 0.37 cm³/g) and less baking loss ( 22.98 ± 0.94 % ) than those of control (+) bread ( 2.93 ± 0.21 cm³/g and 31.65 ± 0.72 % , respectively). Findings proved that the mixture flour based on chickpeas, carob and rice represents a good alternative to make gluten-free bread with acceptable baking properties.

Lipid-Lowering Effects of Carob Extracts (Ceratonia siliqua): Proposed Mechanisms and Clinical Importance

The global prevalence of dyslipidemia (elevated plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol, triglycerides, and lower plasma levels of HDL-Cholesterol) is constantly on the rise. Lately, carob pulp has been recognized as an effective natural product for the treatment of dyslipidemia. The two main components of the carob pulp, polyphenols, and insoluble fiber are believed to have beneficial effects on lipid metabolism. Studies on humans and animals confirmed its lipid-lowering effects. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, namely by affecting three organ systems: 1) gastrointestinal tract, 2) liver and 3) adipose tissue. Also, carob products have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and vascular-protective activity.

Supplementation with a Cocoa-Carob Blend, Alone or in Combination with Metformin, Attenuates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy, Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Zucker Diabetic Rats

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the main causes of mortality among diabetic patients, with oxidative stress and inflammation major contributors to its development. Dietary flavonoids show strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, although their potential additive outcomes in combination with antidiabetic drugs have been scarcely explored. The present study investigates the cardioprotective effects of a cocoa–carob blend (CCB) diet, rich in flavonoids, alone or in combination with metformin, in the development of DCM. Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF) were fed with a CCB rich-diet or a control diet, with or without metformin for 12 weeks. Glucose homeostasis, cardiac structure and function, and oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers were analysed. CCB improved glucose homeostasis, and mitigated cardiac dysfunction, hypertrophy, and fibrosis in ZDF rats. Mechanistically, CCB counteracted oxidative stress in diabetic hearts by down-regulating NADPH oxidases, reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and modulating the sirtuin-1 (SIRT1)/ nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signalling pathway, overall improving antioxidant defence. Moreover, CCB suppressed inflammatory and fibrotic reactions by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines. Noteworthy, several of these effects were further improved in combination with metformin. Our results demonstrate that CCB strongly prevents the cardiac remodelling and dysfunction observed in diabetic animals, highlighting its potential, alone or in adjuvant therapy, for treating DCM.

Supplementation with a Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Fruit Extract Attenuates the Cardiometabolic Alterations Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Mice

The incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing worldwide which makes necessary the finding of new strategies to treat and/or prevent it. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible beneficial effects of a carob fruit extract (CSAT+^®) on the cardiometabolic alterations associated with MetS in mice. 16-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were fed for 26 weeks either with a standard diet (chow) or with a diet rich in fats and sugars (HFHS), supplemented or not with 4.8% of CSAT+^®. CSAT+^® supplementation reduced blood glucose, Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and circulating levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-c), insulin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, CSAT+^® prevented MetS-induced insulin resistance, reduced macrophage infiltration and the expression of pro-inflammatory markers, and up-regulated the mRNA levels of antioxidant markers. Supplementation with CSAT+^® prevented MetS-induced hypertension and decreased the vascular response of aortic rings to angiotensin II (AngII). Moreover, treatment with CSAT+^® attenuated endothelial dysfunction and increased vascular sensitivity to insulin. In the heart, CSAT+^® supplementation reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and prevented ischemia-reperfusion-induced decrease in cardiac contractility. The beneficial effects at the cardiovascular level were associated with a lower expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant markers in aortic and cardiac tissues.

Functional polysaccharides of carob fruit: a review

Polysaccharides in carob fruit, including carob bean gum (also known as carob gum, locust bean gum) and carob fiber, are widely used in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, paper, textile, oil well drilling and cosmetics. Carob bean gum is a galactomannan obtained from the seed endosperm of carob tree and the fiber is obtained by removing most of soluble carbohydrates in carob pulp by water extraction. Both the gum and fiber are beneficial to health for many diseases such as diabetes, bowel movements, heart disease and colon cancer. This article reviewed the composition, properties, food applications and health benefits of polysaccharides from carob fruit.

Phytochemistry, bioactivity: suggestion of Ceratonia siliqua L. as neurodegenerative disease therapy

Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is one of the most widespread medicinal plants in the Mediterranean area. Traditionally, it was cultivated for its ethnopharmacological benefits and, more especially, for the seeds, which served as unit of measurement of jewelers "carat." Hence, in the last half-century, numerous studies reported a wide range of phytoconstituents contained in all parts of Ceratonia siliqua such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins, alkaloids, glycosides, proteins and minerals. This review article unveils the phytochemical constituents, bioactivity and pharmacological studies of Ceratonia siliqua. Recent studies have shown that the extracts of this plant exhibit an antioxidant, antidiarrheal, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic activities and also hepatoprotective and antiproliferative effects. In this review, we provide a summary of the most interesting data related to bioactivity and therapeutic potential of Ceratonia siliqua in a way to suggest possible future studies that may use Ceratonia siliqua as an undeniable natural alternative for neurodegenerative diseases treatment.

Degree of roasting of carob flour affecting the properties of gluten-free cakes and cookies

Carob flour is a product rich in fibre obtained from by-products of the locust bean gum extraction processing. The flour is commercialised with different degrees of roasting in order to improve its organoleptic characteristics. In this study, carob flour with three different roasting degrees was used to replace rice flour (15%) in gluten-free cakes and cookies. The influence of this replacement was studied on the psychochemical characteristics and acceptability of the final products. The incorporation of carob flour increased the viscosity of cake batters and increased the solid elastic-like behaviour of the cookie doughs, indicating a stronger interaction among the formula ingredients. The inclusion of carob flour, with a low time of roasting, did not lead to any significant differences in the specific volume and hardness of the cakes, but reduced cake staling and the thickness and width of the cookies. Darker colours were obtained when carob flour was incorporated into the product. The acceptability of cakes was only reduced with the addition of highly roasted carob flour, while in the case of cookies there was a decline in the acceptability of all carob flour cookies, which was mostly perceived with the highest roasting degree, something mainly attributed to the bitter taste of the products.

Functional Components of Carob Fruit: Linking the Chemical and Biological Space

The contribution of natural products to the drug-discovery pipeline has been remarkable since they have served as a rich source for drug development and discovery. Natural products have adapted, during the course of evolution, optimum chemical scaffolds against a wide variety of diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Advances in high-throughput screening assays, assisted by the continuous development on the instrumentation's capabilities and omics, have resulted in charting a large chemical and biological space of drug-like compounds, originating from natural sources. Herein, we attempt to integrate the information on the chemical composition and the associated biological impact of carob fruit in regards to human health. The beneficial and health-promoting effects of carob along with the clinical trials and the drug formulations derived from carob's natural components are presented in this review.

Carob Kibble: A Bioactive-Rich Food Ingredient

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is well known for its valuable locust bean gum obtained from the carob seeds. Separation of seeds from the pod leaves behind the carob kibble which is a good source of dietary fiber, sugars, and a range of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and pinitol. Bioactive compounds present in carob kibble have been found to be beneficial in the control of many health problems such as diabetes, heart diseases, and colon cancer due to their antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Carob kibble has substantial potential to be used as a food ingredient. This article focuses on the composition, health benefits, and food applications of carob kibble.

PGC-1α overexpression suppresses blood pressure elevation in DOCA-salt hypertensive mice

Increasing evidences have accumulated that endothelial dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) has been identified as an essential factor that protects against endothelial dysfunction in vascular pathologies. However, the functional role of PGC-1α in hypertension is not well understood. Using an adenovirus infection model, we tested the hypothesis that PGC-1α overexpression retards the progression of hypertension in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt mice model through preservation of the function of endothelium. We first demonstrated that PGC-1α expression not only in conductance and resistance arteries but also in endothelial cells was decreased after DOCA-salt treatment. In PGC-1α adenovirus-infected mice, the elevation of blood pressure in DOCA-salt mice was attenuated, as determined using tail-cuff measurement. Furthermore, PGC-1α overexpression inhibited the decrease in nitric oxide (NO) generation and the increase in superoxide anion (O2 (-)) production in DOCA-salt-treated mice, in parallel with improved endothelium-dependent relaxation. Rather than affecting endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) total expression and phosphorylation, PGC-1α significantly inhibited eNOS uncoupling, as evidenced by increased eNOS homodimerization, BH4 levels, GTP-cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH1) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) expression and heat-shock protein (Hsp)90-eNOS interaction. Our findings demonstrate that PGC-1α overexpression preserves eNOS coupling, enhances NO generation, improves endothelium-dependent relaxation and thus lowers blood pressure, suggesting that up-regulation of PGC-1α may be a novel strategy to prevent and treat hypertension.