Ingeniería de alimentos

 

Comparative study of ultrasound and maceration techniques for the extraction of polyphenols from cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.)

 

Estudio comparativo entre las técnicas de ultrasonido y maceración para la extracción de polifenoles del grano de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.)

 

C.N. Quiroz-Reyes¹, M.A. Aguilar-Méndez¹*, M.E. Ramírez-Ortíz² y E. Ronquillo-De Jesús¹

 

¹ Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Legaria 694, Colonia Irrigación, 11500, Distrito Federal, México. *Corresponding author. E-mail: maguilarme@ipn.mx Tel. (+52) 55 57 29 63 00 ext. 67778, Fax (+52) 55 53 95 41 47

² Facultad de Estudios Superiores de Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. 1o. de Mayo s/n, col. Sta. María las Torres, 054740, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Estado de México, México.

 

Received 23 of August 2012
Accepted 12 of December 2012

 

Abstract

Polyphenols have gained significant interest in recent years due to their antioxidant capacity and their important role in disease prevention. In this work, the phenolic content and antioxidant properties of cocoa extracts prepared by maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction were studied. The polyphenol content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the antioxidant activity was estimated by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (Ferric reducing/antioxidant power) assays. The identification and quantification of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that by using ultrasonic radiation, it was possible to obtain higher polyphenol contents from both the husk and cotyledon of cocoa. Furthermore, extracts obtained by sonication showed the highest antioxidant activity, thus proving that this activity depends directly on the total phenolic content. The contents of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin were higher in the cotyledon extracts compared to those of the husk.

Keywords: cocoa, polyphenols, extraction, ultrasound, antioxidant activity.

 

Resumen

Los polifenoles han ganado un interés significativo en años recientes debido a su capacidad antioxidante y a su papel importante en la prevención de enfermedades. En este trabajo, el contenido fenólico y las propiedades antioxidantes de extractos de cacao preparados por maceración y extracción asistida por ultrasonido, fueron estudiados. El contenido de polifenoles fue determinado empleando el reactivo de Folin-Ciocalteu y la actividad antioxidante fue estimada por las técnicas de DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) y FRAP (Ferric reducing/antioxidant power). La identificación y cuantificación de (+)-catequina y (-)-epicatequina fueron realizadas a través de la cromatografía de líquidos de alta resolución (HPLC). Los resultados mostraron que mediante el uso de radiación ultrasónica, fue posible extraer un mayor contenido de polifenoles tanto para cascarilla como para cotiledón de cacao. Además, los extractos obtenidos por sonicación presentaron la mayor actividad antioxidante, demostrando así que esta actividad depende directamente del contenido fenólico total. Los contenidos de (+)-catequina y (-)-epicatequina fueron mayores en los exfractos obtenidos del cotiledon con respecto a aquellos obtenidos de la cascarilla.

Palabras clave: cacao, polifenoles, extracción, ultrasonido, actividad antioxidante.

 

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by SIP-IPN (projects 20113551 and 20120422). Quiroz-Reyes thanks COFAA-IPN and CONACyT for the schotarships received.

 

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