Search Results (9)

Cocoa bean shell (CBS) is one of the main by-products of the cocoa processing industry and represents about 20% of the bean. This product has been suggested as a food ingredient due to its aroma, high dietary fiber, and polyphenol contents. This work shows the effect of grinding degree (GD) and grinding method on the physicochemical characteristics, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of an aqueous infusion of CBS. Three particle sizes of CBS powder and two milling methods (mechanical and electrical) were used to prepare a hot water infusion. The infusions presented a pH in the range of 5.37–5.80. In both husks and independently of the GD and the grinding method, the TPC was higher than 141 mg of gallic acid equivalent per g (GAE/g), an antioxidant activity greater than 304 µg of Trolox equivalent per g (µgTE/g). The results indicate that CBS can be an excellent alternative for the design of biofunctional beverages, giving added value to this agro-industrial residue of southeastern México. Full article

Vegetable fibers are increasingly used in biocomposites, but there is a need for further development in utilizing by-products like cocoa husks. Three-dimensional printing, through Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), is advancing rapidly and may be of great interest for applying biocomposite materials. This study focuses on developing innovative and fully biodegradable filaments for the FFF process. PLA filaments were prepared using cellulose fibers derived from cocoa husks (5% mass ratio). One set of filaments incorporated fibers from untreated husks (UCFFs), while another set utilized fibers from chemically treated husks (TCFFs). The fabricated materials were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques, and they were also tested for tensile strength. ANOVA reveals that both UCFFs and TCFFs significantly predict tensile strength, with the UCFFs demonstrating an impressive R² value of 0.9981. The optimal tensile strength for the filament test specimens was 16.05 MPa for TCFF8 and 13.58 MPa for UCFF8, utilizing the same printing parameters: 70% infill and a layer thickness of 0.10 mm. Additionally, there was an 18% improvement in the tensile strength of the printed specimens using the filaments filled with chemically treated cocoa husk fibers compared to the filaments with untreated fibers. Full article

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects people’s health. Constipation is probably one of the most prominent gastrointestinal symptoms (non-motor symptoms) of PD with devastating consequences. The aim of this research work is to formulate a functional food product, supplemented with inulin, cocoa, and Moringa, which can be an adjuvant in the treatment of constipation. The product was prepared according to a muffin or “Chilean cake” recipe; this basic muffin was prepared with additions of inulin (MI), inulin + cacao (MIC), and inulin + Moringa (MIM). A physical–chemical analysis of the macronutrients and an antioxidant capacity assessment of the samples were conducted, as well as a sensory evaluation performed by a group of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. A statistically significant difference was observed in the soluble (p = 0.0023) and insoluble (p = 0.0015) fiber values between the control samples and all samples. Furthermore, inulin + cacao improved the antioxidant capacity and folate intake compared to the control. Inulin alone has been shown to have antioxidant capacity according to ABTS (262.5728 ± 34.74 μmol TE/g) and DPPH (9.092518 ± 10.43 μmol TE/g) assays. A sensory evaluation showed a preference for the product with inulin and for the product with inulin + cacao, with a 78% purchase intention being reported by the subjects who evaluated the products. The incorporation of inulin and cacao improved the nutritional value of the muffins; the dietary fiber, antioxidant capacity and folate content are some of the features that stood out. A bakery product enriched with inulin, cocoa and Moringa could serve as a nutritional strategy to enhance nutritional value, thus helping in the treatment of constipation. Full article

Cocoa tree plantations aim to harvest grains found in the cob to produce cocoa and chocolate. There has been a growing interest in valorizing the secondary components of the cocoa fruit, such as the peel, placenta, and mucilage/pulp, as valuable sources of nutrients for healthy food preparation. In other words, by-products derived from these raw materials are an exploitable source of nutrients in the preparation of healthy food. In the present study, two varieties of cocoa, National Cocoa Fino de Aroma (NCFA) and Colección Castro Naranjal 51 (CCN-51), were evaluated and harvested during both dry and rainy seasons. This evaluation was based on the profiling of the cob, peel, grain, placenta, and mucilage in different stages of ripeness (underripe, ripe, and overripe). Also, from the ripe raw material, a fermented beverage prototype was developed, such as kombucha, with different concentrations of mucilage (40, 60, 80, and 100 g/L). Physicochemical analyses, such as acidity, °Brix, pH, moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, sugars, and polyphenols of the raw mucilage material and acidity, °Brix, and pH values of the fermented kombucha, were carried out. The best performances were obtained with the CCN-51 variety in the rainy season. Among the fermented drink panelists, the CN40 treatment (Nacional Mucilage + 40 g/L of sugar) received the highest acceptability and was considered the best. Given its efficiency, nutritional content, and potential applications, this product presents a promising strategy to address Sustainable Development Goals related to zero hunger, health and well-being, and climate action. Full article

In recent years, there has been an increase in consumer interest in functional foods enriched with health-promoting ingredients, which include dietary fiber. Therefore, the present study investigated the functional properties of fruit fiber preparations, i.e., cocoa, chokeberry, and apple fiber preparations, then designed wheat bakery products, kaiser rolls, with these fibers and evaluated the designed products. The fiber preparations selected for the study were evaluated for water binding properties (WHC), solubility (WSI), total polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity using a spectrophotometric method. In the designed bakery products, the weight losses occurring during baking were determined, specific mass, and hardness were evaluated, and sensory evaluation was carried out using a descriptive method. The tested fiber preparations showed varying water solubility, ranging from approximately 17% for cocoa fiber to approximately 30% for chokeberry one. The highest values, both in polyphenol content and antioxidant properties, were characteristic for chokeberry fiber, at 7.0 mg GAE/1 g and 10.1 Trolox/100 g, respectively, while the lowest values were for apple fiber (1.6 mg GAE/1 g, 3.6 Trolox/100 g). Baked products, kaiser rolls, with the proportion of the tested preparations at a lower addition level (3% flour replacement) had more favorable sensory characteristics than those containing a higher proportion of fiber (6% flour replacement). Considering all the tested fiber preparations, the rolls with the addition of chokeberry fiber preparation were the most favorable in terms of sensory characteristics. As the proportion of apple and cocoa fiber preparations in the rolls increased, the hardness and intensity of the bitter taste also increased. The designed bakery products could be a valuable addition to the assortment of semi-confectionery breads (yeast doughs), where the unfavorable bitter taste could be masked by the addition of, e.g., dried fruits (cranberries, raisins), nuts, sunflower seeds, or fruit filling. Full article

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a food product used worldwide and a key raw material for chocolate manufacturing. Cocoa possesses bioactive compounds such as methylxanthines, flavonoids, procyanidins, and related molecules with medicinal or health-promoting properties. Cocoa shell and pod husk have been proposed as a by-product with several interesting bioactivities, and the gummy residue or glue (a sticky, gluey by-product known as “mucilage” in Spanish) is used to produce liquors and is eaten as a food in Perú. However, little is known about the chemical composition and bioactivity of flours made from Peruvian cocoa ecotype wastes such as those from the vein and pod husk of the fruits. This study aimed to characterize the in vitro antioxidant properties and nutritional values of flours made from the waste from a special ecotype of cocoa (CCN-51). The chemical fingerprinting was performed using UHPLC–HESI orbitrap mass spectrometry and allowed the detection of 51 compounds. GC-FID was used for the determination of individual fatty acid contents, and the antioxidant activity was assessed by several assays (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS). The flours obtained were composed of a good amount of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, and minerals, as well as several bioactive polyphenolic compounds, fatty acids, and amino acids with nutraceutical properties, making the flours a rich and promising food as well as a good source for the preparation of functional foods or nutraceuticals. Full article

Cocoa husk is considered a waste product after cocoa processing and creates environmental issues. These waste products are rich in polyphenols, methylxanthine, dietary fibers, and phytosterols, which can be extracted and utilized in various food and health products. Cocoa beans represent only 32–34% of fruit weight. Various extraction methods were implemented for the preparation of extracts and/or the recovery of bioactive compounds. Besides conventional extraction methods, various studies have been conducted using advanced extraction methods, including microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), subcritical water extraction (SWE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). To include cocoa husk waste products or extracts in different food products, various functional foods such as bakery products, jam, chocolate, beverage, and sausage were prepared. This review mainly focused on the composition and functional characteristics of cocoa husk waste products and their utilization in different food products. Moreover, recommendations were made for the complete utilization of these waste products and their involvement in the circular economy. Full article

Recently, the enrichment of chocolate has become a very interesting topic, along with the management of food industry by-products, such as cocoa shells. Cocoa shells could be a great raw material for the cocoa industry, both for economical reasons (maximized utilization of cocoa beans) and for their functional properties (increased fiber content). In this research, we used untreated and high-voltage electrical discharge (HVED)-treated cocoa shells in the production of chocolate. Different proportions of cocoa mass were replaced with cocoa shells to produce dark and milk chocolates in a ball mill. Additionally, dark chocolate with 15% and milk chocolate with 5% of shells were chosen for further research and to study the alteration of the composition. The rheology, particle size distribution, hardness, and color were determined for all the prepared samples. Treated cocoa shells provided chocolates with inferior physical properties compared to chocolates with untreated shells. Therefore, untreated cocoa shells were selected for further analysis. The addition of both treated and untreated cocoa shells resulted in softening and darkening of samples, which could have a positive effect for consumers. On the other hand, the particle size distribution and rheology were negatively affected. Further research is needed to find a solution for these problems. Full article

One of the main by-products in cocoa industry is the cocoa bean shell (CBS), which represents approximately 12–20% of the bean. This product has been suggested as a food ingredient because of its aroma and high dietary fiber and polyphenol contents. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of the CBS particle size and extraction methods on the chemical composition and consumer acceptance of a functional beverage, in order to find the best combination of technological parameters and health benefits. Five particle sizes of CBS powder and six home techniques were used for beverage preparation. The influence of these factors on the physico-chemical characteristics, methylxanthine and polyphenolic contents, antioxidant and antidiabetic properties, and consumer acceptance was evaluated. Total phenolic content values up to 1803.83 mg GAE/L were obtained for the beverages. Phenolic compounds and methylxanthines were identified and quantified by HPLC-PDA. These compounds may be related to the high antioxidant capacity (up to 7.29 mmol TE/L) and antidiabetic properties (up to 52.0% of α-glucosidase inhibition) observed. Furthermore, the consumer acceptance results indicated that CBS may represent an interesting ingredient for new functional beverages with potential health benefits, reducing the environmental and economic impact of by-product disposal. Full article