EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES ON THE BIOACTIVE PROPERTIES OF COCOA (Theobroma Cacao L.)

none7siObjectives. Cocoa is a food ingredient that is important for the contribution of flavor to foods but is also associated with beneficial effects on health. A number of studies have shown that cocoa is a rich source of flavanols (flavan-3-ol), the main bioactive compounds responsible for cocoa potential health benefits. The phenol content and concentration depend on cocoa bean variety (genotype), degree of ripeness, processing and storage. The processing of raw cocoa includes a number of stages (fermentation, roasting and alkalisation), in which cocoa beans change their chemistry and are transformed into nibs, liquor, and cocoa powder. In this work we studied the effect of cocoa bean processing in roasted and alkalised cocoa powder on total and individual phenolic compounds. Methodology. Four cocoa powder samples, produced and processed in Chuao (Venezuela), were analysed: fermented cocoa beans (FCB), fermented and roasted cocoa beans with (FRCBH) and without husk (FRCB), fermented and alkalised cocoa beans (FACB). Free proanthocianidin oligomeric compounds were determined by normal phase HPLC-FLD-MS, moreover bound phenolic compounds were analysed by HPLC-QqQ-MS for each sample. Results. The analysis carried out by HPLC-FLD-MS confirmed the high degree of isomerization of the flavan-3-ols (from monomers to tridecamers and polymers) in cocoa samples. FCB sample report a total content of proanthocyanidins of 7.5 mg/g, the value is higher in FRCBH and FRCB that is about 13 and 9 mg/g, respectively. As expected, the FACB sample showed the lowest amount (about 2 mg/g). Dimers, monomers and trimers were the representative oligomeric forms contained in higher amounts. Total bound phenolics were affected by the technological processes. FCB showed a total phenolic content of 4.7 mg/g, FRCBH sample reported a lower content (3.8 mg/g) compared to FCB, but higher than FRCB and FACB samples (2.9 and 2.0 mg/g, respectively). Conclusions. Natural cocoas are high in phenolic compounds, but when the cocoa is processed, the technological procedures caused losses of these bioactive compounds. The alkali treatment, that usually was used to limit the formation of potentially toxic compounds, caused significant losses of free and bound phenolic compoundmixedFEDERICA PASINI; VITO VERARDO; Thayra MORENO TRUJILLO; Eduardo GUERRA HERNANDEZ; Belen GARCIA VILLANOVA; Elevina Pérez; Maria CaboniFEDERICA PASINI; VITO VERARDO; Thayra MORENO TRUJILLO; Eduardo GUERRA HERNANDEZ; Belen GARCIA VILLANOVA; Elevina Pérez; Maria Cabon