This study investigates the heritability of polyphenolic, anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity of beans derived from four cocoa clones and their offsprings. These compounds were analyzed at 280 nm (polyphenols) and 520 nm (anthocyanins) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method using a photodiode array detector (PDA). The antioxidant capacity of methanolic extracts prepared from cocoa beans was measured by the DPPH and ABTS assays. Samples displayed catechin and epicatechin as the two main polyphenols. Epicatechin, which represents 1 to 5% of defatted cocoa seed powder, was hundred-fold higher than catechin while cyanidin-3-arabinoside was threefold higher than cyanidin-3-galactoside. The two main anthocyanins found in our samples represent about 0.05% of defatted cocoa seed powder. All these compounds were genotype-dependent. Unidentified substances called A, B and C were also found in cocoa seeds. Substance A is discussed as a derivative of caffeic acid and an ester-bound compound. Substances B and C are oligomers of proanthocyanidins. Antioxidant capacity of cocoa beans obtained by 2,2'-azino-bis (3ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assay was higher than those obtained by DPPH assay. According to correlation tests, flavanols contributed better in the antioxidant capacity than anthocyanin. No maternal effect was detected in the transmission of polyphenol compounds suggesting a nuclear heritability.
The development of resistant varieties can be done according to a genetic approach. Estimation of genetic parameters for the quantitative traits of cocoa genotypes (Theobroma cacao L.) was made from a 5 × 5 diallel mating design. The objective of this study was to identify tolerant genotypes to black pod disease (BPD) through genetic analyzes. The inoculation of the leaves of parental cocoa genotypes and their offsprings with Phytophthora megakarya was performed in the nursery for two seasons (dry and rainy). Percentage success for crosses made using hand pollination was low (31.22%) and fair for grafting (60.68%). Observations made on necrosis length on the 2 nd , 4 th and 6 th days after inoculation showed increasing sensibility of the clones to BPD in the order SNK 413˂T 79/467˂T 79/501˂SNK 16˂SCA 12. 84.37 and 76.04% of hybrid genotypes exhibited positive heterosis (hybrid vigor) in dry and rainy seasons respectively. Narrow sense (h²) and broad-sense (H²) heritabilities was high in two reciprocal crosses [F30 (h²= 0.699 and H²=0.624) and F70 (h²= 0.601 and H²=0.643)].
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