Ceratonia siliqua L. A Promising Functional Food for
Chronicle Diseases Related to Gastrointestinal System:
Diabetes, and Lactose Intolerance ^†

The present study contributes to the promotion of a tree widely cultivated in the Mediterranean area, especially in our country Algeria; the carob tree "Ceratonia siliqua L."; by a bibliographic review which lists the chemical, nutritional, biochemical, biological, and biotechnological properties of carob and its by-products expressed by the evaluation of their activities: antioxidant, anticancer, anti-hyper-lipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-reflux, anti- diarrheal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer and enzymatic, noted in the literature for few years.

The presence of the main primary and secondary metabolites: polyphenols, fibers and sugars; give these products very interesting properties and benefits for human health by making it dietetic product and a raw material of choice in food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, in this perspective we developed in our laboratory a Ceratonia siliqua L. fruit aqueous extract based vegetal milk as a functional food for chronicle diseases related to digestive disorder: diabetes, and lactose intolerance.