Changes in Phenol Level and Antioxidant Activity of Cocoa Beans During Fermentation and Roasting

Flavonoid
polyphenol s , especially catechin and epicatechin ,are major component s in cocoa products , which are
known for antioxidant properties . C ocoa bean requires fermentation process in order to obtain good taste. During
the fermentation process, polyphenol s are oxidized by polyphenol oxidase to form quinone and 2 q uinon . The
purpose of the research is to determine the total level of polyphenol and antioxidant activity of fermented and
roasted cocoa beans . The experiment was using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with fermentation
treatment that includes : Without f ermentation, three day fermentation and five day fermentation. Observation
parameters include: Polyphenol level and antioxidant activity with DPPH method. The results showed that the
total phenol level of cocoa bean changed during fermentation and after ro asting. The highest phenol level was
found in cocoa beans without fermentation, and there is a decrease of phenol level to 98% after fermentation and
roasting. The fermentation affects the Inhibition Concentration (IC 50 ) of cocoa beans. An unfermented bean
showed a very strongly active antioxidant activity with IC 50 of 7.848 ppm , whereas three day fermentation
showed a strong antioxidant activity with IC 50 of 35.961 ppm, and five day fermentation is moderately active
with IC 50 of 55.976 ppm
Keywords:
c ocoa beans, fermentation, poliphenol, antioxidant activity, DPPH