Carob Syrup: Prebiotic Potential of a Neglected Functional Beverage of Mediterranean Countries
Lorenzo Nissen,
Davide Addazii,
Flavia Casciano,
Francesca Danesi,
Maria Teresa Rodriguez-Estrada,
Dario Mercatante,
Siwar Ben Ayache,
Achour Lotfi,
Anagnostis Argiriou,
Georgia Ayfantopoulou,
Andrea Gianotti
Affiliations
Lorenzo Nissen
DiSTAL—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Davide Addazii
DiSTAL—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Flavia Casciano
DiSTAL—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Francesca Danesi
DiSTAL—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Maria Teresa Rodriguez-Estrada
DiSTAL—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Dario Mercatante
DiSTAL—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Siwar Ben Ayache
BIOLIVAL—Bioresources: Biologie Integrative & Valorisation, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir (ISBM), Av. Taher El Hadded BP74, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
Achour Lotfi
BIOLIVAL—Bioresources: Biologie Integrative & Valorisation, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir (ISBM), Av. Taher El Hadded BP74, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
Anagnostis Argiriou
UOA-FNS—Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Greece
Georgia Ayfantopoulou
CERTH/HIT—Centre for Research and Technology Hellas—Hellenic Institute of Transport, 6th km Charilaou—Thermi Rd., Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Andrea Gianotti
DiSTAL—Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Carob syrup, a traditional Mediterranean functional beverage obtained from Ceratonia siliqua (L.) pods, has been historically valued for its nutritional properties but is currently underutilized. This study compared the prebiotic potential of three handmade carob syrups produced by Tunisian women with commercial benchmarks from Italy, Greece and Cyprus. The prebiotic activity was evaluated by prebiotic scores, bifidogenic activity and volatilome characterization (SPME GC/MS) together with physicochemical and nutritional parameters. The results showed that Tunisian handmade products exhibited lower growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli compared to commercial samples. The prebiotic activity, tested against probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria mixtures, showed a hierarchy of efficacy: fructo-oligosaccharides (FOSs) > Tunisian handmade products > Greek and Cypriot benchmarks > Italian benchmark. Volatilome analysis revealed about 40 compounds, mainly organic acids and aldehydes, with higher concentrations in handmade products. Positive correlations were found between prebiotic activity and short-chain fatty acids and n-hexadecanoic acid, while furfural showed negative correlations. The Tunisian artisanal products showed a higher prebiotic potential compared to the commercial counterparts, due to their higher content and diversity of organic acids. However, the presence of furfural in Tunisian products needs to be monitored due to potential toxicity concerns.
