Quantification of Polyphenols in Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Fruits and Leaves in Portuguese Cultivars

Methanol extracts from leaves and pulps from male, female, and hermaphrodite carob trees were studied for their contents of total phenols, tannins and flavonoids. In the three genders, significantly higher amounts of total phenols, tannins and flavonoids were detected in leaf extracts. Gender significantly affected the phenolic profile with the hermaphrodites being generally richer in phenols. Our results confirm that leaves and pulps of carob tree contain high amounts of phenols, being potentially attractive as a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry