Prosopis spp. functional activities and its applications in bakery products

Currently, consumers claim more healthful foods, among them, bakery products, which are an excellent source of nutrients. Although flour from different grains and seeds has been added to these products, the use of no traditional sources of flour has been raised in the last decades, one of them, flour from Prosopis spp. This plant is an underutilized legume that is a good source of carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, and phytochemicals. this review aims to describe the value of the entire Prosopis tree and its chemical compounds in its leaves, rind, exudate gum, flowers, and pods. This paper emphasizes the use of Prosopis ground pods as flour in traditional food. Key Findings and Conclusions: Pods from the P. alba, juliflora, chilensis, nigra, cineraria, africana, and tamarugo species have been investigated for its nutritive and bioactive properties. The flour from different parts of the pod (epicarp, mesocarp, and seed) had been investigated because of its nutritive effects, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hyperglycemic activities. The ground pod is a suitable ingredient in the formulations of bread, cookies, and gluten-free products. •Prosopis spp. is an underutilized legume.•Leaves, rind, exudate gum, flowers, and pods of Prosopis tree have bioactive properties.•The Prosopis pod is used worldwide as an ingredient for food and feed.•The pod flour has potential as a partial wheat replacement in bakery products.