Imera cultivar carob: clinical glycemic effects and phytochemical profile

The Carob tree is an evergreen tree of the Mediterranean. Carob pods are highly nutritious. Despite their high sugar content, carob pods contain insoluble fibers, D-pinitol as well as phenolic compounds. The purpose of this study was to compare acute postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses to beverages containing Imera carob powder versus sucrose in healthy male adults and to characterize the phenolic profile of the Imera variety using LC-TTOF MS. A randomized, controlled crossover study examined the glycemic effects of beverages made with Imera carob powder (30 g) versus sucrose (14 g) in 15 healthy males. After an overnight fast and 1-month washout between sessions, participants consumed both beverages. Carob significantly lowered glucose levels (109.2 vs 120.3 mg/dL, p = 0.003) and insulin levels (9.8 vs 14.6 μIU/mL, p = 0.001) at 30 min, with reduced AUCi values for both glucose and insulin at 0-30 and 30-60 min. LC-TTOF MS analysis revealed that the Imera cultivar contains phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, catechin, quercetin, myricetin and kaempferol.