The free fatty acid (FFA) content in dry cocoa beans is expected to be less than 1.0% to meet the acceptable level of 1.75% in cocoa butter. This study therefore investigates the impact of insect infestation on FFA formation in raw cocoa beans in storage from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Hence, the effect of storage management on FFA content in dry cocoa beans is very important. The effect of insec...

This study determined the in vitro inhibitory effects of cocoa extracts and procyanidins against pancreatic α-amylase (PA), pancreatic lipase (PL), and secreted phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and characterized the kinetics of such inhibition. Lavado, regular, and Dutch-processed cocoa extracts as well as cocoa procyanidins (degree of polymerization (DP) = 2-10) were examined. Cocoa extracts and pr...

UNLABELLED Cocoa beans were alkalized before or after roasting and made into cocoa liquor before analyzing by SIFT-MS. In both alkalized-before-roasting and alkalized-after-roasting samples, there were significantly higher concentrations of alkylpyrazines for the samples with pH above 7 than pH below 7. At pH 8, the concentrations of 2,3-, 2,5-, and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine (DMP), 2,3,5-trimethylpy...

The aim of this study was the determination of the level of ochratoxin A (OTA) in cocoa beans and derived products along with the estimation of the dietary intake in adults. Throughout harvesting seasons from 2005 to 2009, as many as 1895 samples of cocoa beans were collected at ports and areas of cocoa production and thereafter analyzed. OTA concentrations were determined by HPLC according to ...

Objective(s): To investigate the effect of cocoa on orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) rate, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and receptor activator of nuclear factor κ β ligand (RANKL) levels after OTM.Materials and Methods: A total of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were included in the study. They were equally divided into two groups: cocoa and control. The upper incisors of all rats were subjected to 35 cN orth...

BACKGROUND The recent inclusion of the cocoa sector as an option for carbon storage necessitates the need to quantify the C stocks in cocoa systems of Ghana. RESULTS Using farmers' fields, the carbon (C) stocks in shaded and unshaded cocoa systems selected from the Eastern (ER) and Western (WR) regions of Ghana were measured. Total ecosystem C (biomass C + soil C to 60 cm depth) ranged from 8...

Cocoa is a food relatively rich in polyphenols, which makes it a potent antioxidant. Due to its activity as an antioxidant, as well as through other mechanisms, cocoa consumption has been reported to be beneficial for cardiovascular health, brain functions, and cancer prevention. Furthermore, cocoa influences the immune system, in particular the inflammatory innate response and the systemic and...

Alkalizing agents in the processing of Dutch-Cocoa are often imported from developing countries. This occurs amidst humongous quantities Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH) that largely rotting away. study therefore appraises inherent alkalizing potentials CPH, including its physicochemical and safety characteristics production Dutch-Cocoa. CPH was calcined, potash extracted, characterized, applied formulatio...