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Date and carob syrups are traditional foods produced and consumed in several countries, including Tunisia. Each syrup is characterized by its interesting nutritional and bioactive composition. Several studies have been carried out on the production and characterization of each syrup separately, but this study tends to compare the aromatic, physico-chemical, nutritional and functional properties of commercial carob and date syrups. The results showed a comparable aromatic composition whose major compounds are terpenes (carvone and menthol), a difference in color since carob syrup was characterized by a darker brown color, a nutritional composition rich in sugars and a difference in functional properties since carob syrup had greater emulsifying capacity and antioxidant activity. Thus, the characteristics of carob and date syrups encourage their use in the food industry according to the appropriate product.

The carob tree has several advantages for all its components, especially for its fruits (carob pods). Several scientific studies have shown that the carob fruit is rich in nutrients and phytochemicals, which explains its use as a raw material for the manufacturing of various products, including carob syrup. Some studies have been carried out on the physicochemical characteristics of this product, but to our knowledge, there are no scientific studies yet regarding its functional properties and its potential use in the food industry. So, this work clearly shows that carob syrup has interesting functional properties. It exhibits an emulsifying capacity (~ 80-87%) comparable to that of soy lecithin (~ 100%), an emulsifier widely used in food formulations. This result reveals that carob syrup can be used as a natural food emulsifier for the formation and stability of emulsions.

Le caroubier présente plusieurs intérêts pour toutes ses composantes, surtout pour ses fruits (gousses de caroube ou caroube). Plusieurs recherches scientifiques ont démontré que le fruit de caroube est riche en éléments nutritifs et composés phytochimiques. Ce qui explique son utilisation comme matière première pour la fabrication de divers produits, notamment le sirop de caroube. Certaines études ont été menées sur les caractéristiques physico-chimiques de ce produit, mais à notre connaissance, il n’y a pas encore des études scientifiques concernant ses propriétés fonctionnelles et son utilisation potentielle en industrie alimentaire. Donc, ce travail montre bien que le sirop de caroube possède des propriétés fonctionnelles intéressantes. Il présente une capacité émulsifiante (~80-87 %) comparable à celle de la lécithine de soja (~100 %), un émulsifiant largement utilisé dans les formulations alimentaires. Ce résultat révèle que le sirop de caroube peut être utilisé comme un émulsifiant alimentaire naturel pour la formation et la stabilité des émulsions.