Impact of Fermentation, Drying, Roasting, and Dutch Processing on Epicatechin and Catechin Content of Cacao Beans and Cocoa Ingredients

Abstract

Low molecular weight flavan-3-ols are thought to be responsible, in part, for the cardiovascular benefits associated with cocoa powder and dark chocolate. The levels of epicatechin and catechin were determined in raw and conventionally fermented cacao beans and during conventional processing, which included drying, roasting, and Dutch (alkali) processing. Unripe cacao beans had 29% higher levels of epicatechin and the same level of catechin compared to fully ripe beans. Drying had minimal effect on the epicatechin and catechin levels. Substantial decreases (>80%) in catechin and epicatechin levels were observed in fermented versus unfermented beans. When both Ivory Coast and Papua New Guinea beans were subjected to roasting under controlled conditions, there was a distinct loss of epicatechin when bean temperatures exceeded 70 °C. When cacao beans were roasted to 120 °C, the catechin level in beans increased by 696% in unfermented beans, by 650% in Ivory Coast beans, and by 640% in Papua New Guinea fermented beans compared to the same unroasted beans. These results suggest that roasting in excess of 70 °C generates significant amounts of (-)-catechin, probably due to epimerization of (-)-epicatechin. Compared to natural cocoa powders, Dutch processing caused a loss in both epicatechin (up to 98%) and catechin (up to 80%). The epicatechin/catechin ratio is proposed as a useful and sensitive indicator for the processing history of cacao beans.

Oligomeric Cocoa Procyanidins Possess Enhanced Bioactivity Compared to Monomeric and Polymeric Cocoa Procyanidins for Preventing the Development of Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Impaired Glucose Tolerance during High-Fat Feeding

“…The following individual PC's A considerable amount of research has been done to quantify the specific individual flavanols in cocoa and chocolate products. Unfortunately, depending on the origin of the cocoa bean and processing conditions, the composition of the cocoa or chocolate can vary as demonstrated in the content values above 8,10,11 . The fermentation parameters, roasting time and temperature, along with storage time and temperature all have a significant effect on the final flavanol content 8,11,35 .…”

“…Unfortunately, depending on the origin of the cocoa bean and processing conditions, the composition of the cocoa or chocolate can vary as demonstrated in the content values above 8,10,11 . The fermentation parameters, roasting time and temperature, along with storage time and temperature all have a significant effect on the final flavanol content 8,11,35 . Specifically, the fermentation step can significantly reduce the polyphenol content via condensation and oxidation reactions 8 .…”

“…Miller et al demonstrated a steady decrease in flavanol content with increasing pH in cocoa powder 43 . As a result, Dutched chocolate typically exhibits low total flavanol content 11,43 . A recent study demonstrated that Dutching decreases C and EC levels in cocoa powder by 38% and 67% respectively 6 .…”

“…In general, cocoa procyanidins (CPCs) have been identified up to DP of 10-12 1,8,9 . Although the cocoa bean is a rich source of flavanols, fermentation, processing and formulation greatly influence the final total flavanol concentration and the qualitative and quantitative PC profile [8][9][10][11][12] .…”

Impacto de la fermentación y secado sobre el contenido de polifenoles y capacidad antioxidante del clon de cacao CCN-51

“…Las propiedades antioxidantes del cacao son afectadas por factores como el genotipo, las condiciones agroclimáticas, el proceso de beneficio (fermentación y secado) y el proceso de industrialización [1,7]. Durante el beneficio y la subsecuente etapa de tostado se registra una pérdida sustancial de los componentes polifenólicos presentes en el grano, disminuyendo por ende la capacidad antioxidante del mismo [1,8,9]. 9 rev.ion.…”