Tunisian Ceratonia siliqua: Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant Activity, Preparation and Characterization of Carob Emulsion System

ABSTRACT

Ceratonia siliqua were screened for their polyphenol content and antioxidant ability. A formulation of emulsion using the seed oil and galactomannans was assessed. Results showed that maceration contained the greatest amount of phenolics in organs. The best antioxidant capacity was found in seeds extract using soxhlet method. A chromatographic analysis of carob organs showed the predominance of gallic acid in fruits and pods.Fatty acid composition was dominated by palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids with 16.04, 38.08 and 38.85%, respectively. Finally, characterization of emulsions stabilized with the galactomannan from seeds proves that this biopolymer is an excellent food emulsifier. In fact, the production of emulsions having an average diameter of the dispersed droplets of a few micrometers and a creaming index greater than 80% reflects the very high stability. Overall, the results obtained indicated that C. siliqua can be valued as an emulsifier in several foods, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.