Effects of Fermentation on Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities of Cocoa Pericarp and Rachis

Marlène OUALI^1, , Hadja Djeneba OUATTARA¹ and Sébastien NIAMKɹ

¹Laboratory of Biotechnology, Agriculture and Valorisation of Biological Resources, Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Cite this paper:
Marlène OUALI, Hadja Djeneba OUATTARA and Sébastien NIAMKÉ. Effects of Fermentation on Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities of Cocoa Pericarp and Rachis. American Journal of Food Science and Technology. 2026; 14(5):149-158. doi: 10.12691/ajfst-14-5-1

Abstract

This study evaluates the effect of fermentation duration on the phytochemical profile and bioactivities of the pericarp and rachis of cocoa beans. The residues were fermented for periods ranging from 0 to 120 hours, prior to the analysis of bioactive compounds and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The results show a significant increase in polyphenols between 0 and 48 hours, reaching, for example, 23.39% and 23.41 % in the pericarp and rachis respectively, followed by stabilisation. As for antioxidant activity, it reached high levels of around 95 %. At the same time, antinutritional compounds decreased significantly, with phytates falling from around 29 % to 11 %. These results indicate that fermentation promotes the release of bioactive compounds. Finally, the fermentation time that maximises the functional value of cocoa residues is between 48 and 72 hours.

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