Abstract
This study aims to characterize the physicochemical properties of cocoa's residual honey and evaluate its fermentative capacity as a substrate, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae AWRI726 as the starter culture for alcoholic fermentation. The research hypothesis was that cocoa's residual honey can be used for the production of fermented beverages. Cocoa's honey has 14.14 g.100 mL−1 of dry material, containing 11.80 g.100 mL−1 of carbohydrates and 1.20% crude protein, in addition to other minor components, such as pectin, lipids, and Fe, Mn, Na, and Zn, with a carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio (9.8) most suitable for fermentation. Fermentation at 20°C for 240 hours produced a liquid with 16% v/v ethanol (14 g.L−1 in 144 h). However, 24 hours of fermentation produced the maximum ethanol yield (0.373 g.g−1) and volumetric productivity (0.168 g.L−1.h−1), which were associated with a significant increase in the specific cell growth rate. Saccharomyces cerevisiae AWR1726 performed satisfactorily in the alcoholic fermentation of cocoa's residual honey, similar to that observed in other fruit beverages, thus suggesting the suitability of cocoa's residual honey for future commercial applications.
Highlights
Theobroma cacao L. (Sterculiaceae) is an economically important crop in several tropical countries
The cocoa honey was collected before cacao bean fermentation (Figure 1), pasteurized at 70∘C for 20 min, and frozen at −20∘C
The dry commercial yeast S. cerevisiae AWRI726 was obtained from the bakery industry (Maurivin City Brand, Australia) and was used for the controlled fermentation of cocoa’s residual honey
Summary
Theobroma cacao L. (Sterculiaceae) is an economically important crop in several tropical countries. Chocolate processing creates a significant amount of waste, primarily during fruit breakage and in the extraction of liquid from the pulp, which is known as cocoa’s residual honey. Cocoa’s residual honey is an opaque yellow mucilaginous liquid that is separated from the pulp enveloping the cocoa grains by simple extraction before fermentation commences. This liquid has a sweet-sour flavor; a high content of reducing sugar; and a significant amount of dietary fiber, flavonoids, and vitamin C and can be considered a natural source of bioactive phenolic compounds with considerable antioxidant activity [5]. The development of new methods for processing this waste and innovative uses for this byproduct is necessary to minimize production losses, generate more profits, and promote the sustainable use of biomes
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