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Volume 11
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10.3390/fermentation11090507
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Physicochemical Exploration of Cocoa Butter During Spontaneous Fermentation: A Comparative Study Across Three Latin American Countries

by
César R. Balcázar-Zumaeta
1,2,*,
Jorge L. Maicelo-Quintana
3,
Gilson C. A. Chagas Junior
4,
Nelson Rosa Ferreira
4,
Wandson Braamcamp de Souza Pinheiro
5,
Luis Nelson Cardoso e-C. Filho
5,
Alberdan Silva Santos
6,
Angel F. Iliquin-Chávez
1,
Pedro García-Alamilla
7,
Ilse S. Cayo-Colca
3 and
Efraín M. Castro-Alayo
1
1
Instituto de Investigación, Innovación y Desarrollo para el Sector Agrario y Agroindustrial (IIDAA), Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Chachapoyas 01001, Peru
2
Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Agrarias, Escuela de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Jr. Tacna 748, Piura 20002, Peru
3
Facultad de Ingeniería Zootecnista, Biotecnología, Agronegocios y Ciencia de Datos, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Chachapoyas 01001, Peru
4
Laboratory of Biotechnological Processes (LAPROBIO), Graduate Program in Food Science and Technology (PPGCTA), Institute of Technology (ITEC), Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil
5
Central Extraction Laboratory, Chemistry Graduate Program, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil
6
Systematic Investigation in Biotechnology and Molecular Biodiversity Laboratory, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66075-110, Brazil
7
Divisiόn Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias (DACA), Universidad Juárez Autόnoma de Tabasco (UJAT), Carretera Villahermosa-Teapa Km 25, Ra. La Huasteca, Villahermosa 86280, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Fermentation 2025, 11(9), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11090507
Submission received: 31 July 2025 / Revised: 27 August 2025 / Accepted: 27 August 2025 / Published: 29 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Fermentation for Food and Beverages)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

This study characterized the physicochemical properties of cocoa butter (CB) extracted from cocoa beans of the Criollo Nativo (Peru), Criollo (Mexico), and Forastero (Brazil) varieties subjected to spontaneous fermentation under traditional local conditions in each country. Cocoa samples were collected at 24-h intervals, and CB was extracted to evaluate its lipid composition through fatty acid profiling and spectroscopic techniques (FT-IR and NMR). Also, the thermal and structural properties via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), including melting and crystallization profiles, crystallization kinetics, and polymorphism, were determined. The results revealed that stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids were predominant in all varieties, while trace levels of myristic and pentadecanoic acids contributed to molecular packing. FT-IR identified bands associated with glycerol chain formation in TAGs, which were confirmed by NMR through chemical shifts linked to the distribution of POS, SOS, and POP species. CB exhibited melting temperatures between 19.6 and 20.5 °C, favoring polymorphic transitions toward more stable forms. Form I (γ) predominated during early fermentation, while Forms II (α) and III (β′2) were subsequently identified, particularly in Criollo varieties. These findings demonstrate that fermentation time significantly influences the chemical composition, oxidative stability, and crystalline structure of CB, providing valuable insights for optimizing cocoa processing and the development of high-quality chocolate products.
Keywords: cocoa; fatty acid; melting; polymorphism; spectroscopy; triglyceride cocoa; fatty acid; melting; polymorphism; spectroscopy; triglyceride

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Balcázar-Zumaeta, C.R.; Maicelo-Quintana, J.L.; Chagas Junior, G.C.A.; Ferreira, N.R.; Pinheiro, W.B.d.S.; Cardoso e-C. Filho, L.N.; Santos, A.S.; Iliquin-Chávez, A.F.; García-Alamilla, P.; Cayo-Colca, I.S.; et al. Physicochemical Exploration of Cocoa Butter During Spontaneous Fermentation: A Comparative Study Across Three Latin American Countries. Fermentation 2025, 11, 507. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11090507

AMA Style

Balcázar-Zumaeta CR, Maicelo-Quintana JL, Chagas Junior GCA, Ferreira NR, Pinheiro WBdS, Cardoso e-C. Filho LN, Santos AS, Iliquin-Chávez AF, García-Alamilla P, Cayo-Colca IS, et al. Physicochemical Exploration of Cocoa Butter During Spontaneous Fermentation: A Comparative Study Across Three Latin American Countries. Fermentation. 2025; 11(9):507. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11090507

Chicago/Turabian Style

Balcázar-Zumaeta, César R., Jorge L. Maicelo-Quintana, Gilson C. A. Chagas Junior, Nelson Rosa Ferreira, Wandson Braamcamp de Souza Pinheiro, Luis Nelson Cardoso e-C. Filho, Alberdan Silva Santos, Angel F. Iliquin-Chávez, Pedro García-Alamilla, Ilse S. Cayo-Colca, and et al. 2025. "Physicochemical Exploration of Cocoa Butter During Spontaneous Fermentation: A Comparative Study Across Three Latin American Countries" Fermentation 11, no. 9: 507. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11090507

APA Style

Balcázar-Zumaeta, C. R., Maicelo-Quintana, J. L., Chagas Junior, G. C. A., Ferreira, N. R., Pinheiro, W. B. d. S., Cardoso e-C. Filho, L. N., Santos, A. S., Iliquin-Chávez, A. F., García-Alamilla, P., Cayo-Colca, I. S., & Castro-Alayo, E. M. (2025). Physicochemical Exploration of Cocoa Butter During Spontaneous Fermentation: A Comparative Study Across Three Latin American Countries. Fermentation, 11(9), 507. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11090507

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