RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUGAR PROFILE AND D-PINITOL CONTENT OF PODS OF WILD AND CULTIVATED TYPES OF CAROB BEAN (CERATONIA SILIQUA L.)

Carob has been widely grown in the Mediterranean region for a long time. It has been regarded as only a forest tree and has been neglected for other economic benefits. D-Pinitol is one of the major components in some plants, especially the Leguminosae family. Recently, carob fruit has become more popular because of its D-pinitol content. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of sugar profile (glucose, sucrose, and fructose) on the D-pinitol concentration of wild and cultivated types grown in Antalya, Turkey and to compare D-pinitol concentration between both types of carob pods. D-Pinitol concentrations as well as the correlation of sugar profile on it in 32 trees of cultivated and 38 trees of wild carob pods were determined. The results showed that the maximum D-pinitol concentration was 84.59 g/kg in wild type carob pods. Moreover, there was a correlation between sugar profile and D-pinitol for both cultivated and wild types of carob pods.