Postprandial Metabolite and Antioxidant Kinetics Following Intake of a Carob Beverage in Healthy Males

Background/Objectives: Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob) is a rich source of bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting properties. This study investigated the kinetics of serum metabolites following the consumption of a carob beverage and evaluated associated changes in circulating antioxidant status. Methods: Fifteen apparently healthy adult men completed an acute postprandial intervention; only male participants were included to minimize the biological variability related to sex-dependent differences in phytochemical kinetics and antioxidant responses. Participants consumed a beverage from carob pod powder (30 g) dispersed in water (200 mL). Blood samples were collected at baseline and every 30 min for 6 h following intake. Serum metabolic profiling was performed using a non-targeted liquid chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) approach. Antioxidant responses were assessed by measuring ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and serum resistance to copper sulphate-induced oxidation. Results: Twenty-four putative metabolites were detected, including phenolic compounds, fatty acids, amino acids, dipeptides, monosaccharides, pyridoxine, and gut microbiota-derived metabolites. Urolithin B appeared at 30 min (28.0 ± 4.0 × 102 a.u.), while p-cresol sulfate increased from 53.3 ± 6.5 × 102 a.u. at baseline to 130.0 ± 7.0 × 102 a.u. at 30 min. FRAP values did not change significantly over time (p = 0.332), whereas oxidation lag time showed a significant time effect (p = 0.001), reaching its highest mean at 180 min (9093.5 ± 1885.1 s). Conclusions: Carob beverage consumption resulted in a diverse postprandial serum metabolite profile. Antioxidant responses appeared to be only partly explained by circulating phenolics, suggesting that additional pathways and bioactive constituents may contribute.