Carob Leaf Extracts as New Ingredients in the Food Field: Extraction, Characterization, and Antioxidant Features
摘要
The leaves of two Apulian carob cultivars (Selvatica and Amele) were investigated in terms of their phytochemical profiles. Ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) proved to be effective in the recovery of bioactive compounds in comparison with classical methods. When equal to the solvent, the Selvatica leaf extracts showed higher contents of antioxidants, and among solvents, water was shown to possess the most effective extraction capacity, leading to the highest yield. Liquid chromatography–diode array detection (LC-DAD) analyses revealed remarkable amounts of antioxidants in carob leaf extracts, as confirmed by different colorimetric assays. Myricitrin and 4- hydroxy-benzoic acid (HBA) were shown to be the most abundant compounds in all samples, containing simple phenols, polyphenols, and flavanols. The obtained data demonstrated the suitability of carob leaf extracts as a promising ingredient during functional food formulation.