THE PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS OF THE POLYPHENOLS CONTENT OF COCOA BEAN (THEOBROMA COCOA L) AND THE DEVELOPMENT AS FUNCTIONAL FOODS

Abstract

Production and quality of cocoa in South Sulawesi have been decreasing that causes it falls below the industrial
standard. The quality of cacao bean is mainly determined by aroma and flavour produced from fermentation process of
wet cacao bean before drying. In this research processing of various cacao bean without fermentation to polyphenols-rich
cacao powder and polyphenols (catechin) analysis using HPLC have been carried out.
The experimental results showed that total polyphenols content of cacao bean (raw bean) was between 82.14 –
126.67 mg GAE/g powder. Cacao samples coded PLPK, BLKK and SWK (without boiling pretreatment) have
polyphenols content of 113, 119.78, and 126.67 mg/g powder respectively. Whereas the polyphenols content of cacao
sample coded PLP, SW and BLK (with blanching pretreatment) were 110.76, 113.75 and 82.14 mg GAE/g powder
respectively. NP-HPLC analysis result showed that cacao bean from Palopo, Bulukumba and Siwa have high
polyphenols content ranging from 149.38 mg/g to 367.21 mg/g powder.
Heat pretreatment decreases polyphenols content of cacao bean and it shows that polyphenols is not heat
resistant. Polyphenols - rich cacao bean can be obtained without fermentation and heat treatment. Cacao bean from
Bulukumba, Siwa and Palopo have high economic value when processed as polyphenols - rich health food products.