In-Vitro Screenings for Biological and Antioxidant Activities of Water Extract from Theobroma cacao L. Pod Husk: Potential Utilization in Foods

Abstract

Increasing production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) leads to a higher environmental burden due to its solid waste generation. Cocoa pod husk, one of the major solid wastes of cocoa production, contains rich bioactive compounds unveiling its valorization potential. With that in mind, our research aimed to explore the biological and antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from cocoa pod husks. In this present work, cocoa pod husk was extracted using water and subsequentially partitioned using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The antimicrobial investigation revealed that the ethyl acetate solubles were active against the Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, where at a 20% w/v concentration, the inhibition diameters were 6.62 ± 0.10, 6.52 ± 0.02, and 11.72 ± 0.36 mm, respectively. The extracts were found non-toxic proven by brine shrimp lethality tests against Artemia salina with LC50 scores ranging from 74.1 to 19,054.6 μg/mL. The total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were obtained in the range of 47.44 to 570.44 mg/g GAE and 1.96 to 4.34 mg/g QE, respectively. Antioxidant activities of the obtained extracts were revealed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay with EC50 reached as low as 9.61 μg/mL by the ethyl acetate soluble. Phytochemical screening based on gas chromatography—mass spectroscopy analysis on the sample with the highest antioxidant activities revealed the dominant presence of three phytosterols, namely gamma-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol.

Anticancer and antiretroviral activities of methanolic extract from Theobroma cacao L pod husk: focusing on the ethyl acetate partition

“…This value is lower in comparison to that obtained from our previous study using aqueous extraction, where the highest antioxidant was IC 50 =9.61 μg/mL and the highest cytotoxicity -74 LC 50 =μg/mL. 10 However, more cytotoxically active compounds were obtained in the n-hexane extract of T. cacao pod husk with LC 50 as low as 0.29 μg/mL. 9 The bioactivities of T. cacao pod husk could be associated with the phenolic compound contained in the extract as suggested previously.…”

“…9 The bioactivities of T. cacao pod husk could be associated with the phenolic compound contained in the extract as suggested previously. 10 Further purification of fraction TCEA 6 in this present study produced 4 subfractions (TCEA6.1-6.4), with TCEA 6.3 being the most predominated with polyphenol (based on FeCl 3 5% test). The GC-MS analysis on subfraction TCEA 6.3 revealed its phytoconsituents consisted of bioactive compounds lupeol, syringaresinol, catechol, and squalene among many other compounds.…”

“…9 In our recently published work, we extracted the T. cocoa pod husk using distilled water and found its potential as a source for dietary antioxidants. 10 Nonetheless, the research on methanolic extract of T. cacao pod husk has been scarcely reported. Some studies suggest the methanolic extraction could attract a wide-range of bioactive compounds.…”

Comparative analysis of total flavonoid, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of Theobroma cacao Pod Husk extract and its derived fractions

“…The highest total phenolic content was found in the ethyl acetate fraction (9.1000 ± 0.1414), followed by the acetone fraction (6.1300 ± 0.0707), and the lowest in the methanol extract (4.4950 ± 0.3046). Yahya et al [11] reported that the total phenolic content of the ethyl acetate fraction was 570.44 mg/g GAE. The total phenolic content of husk can vary between samples depending on soil conditions, the environment, solvents used, and extraction methods [12].…”

“…The total phenolic content of husk can vary between samples depending on soil conditions, the environment, solvents used, and extraction methods [12]. Soil, air, and environmental conditions can influence the physical and chemical content of the samples [11].…”