Cocoa Pod Husk Research Articles

Study of the efficacy of five growing media for nursery production of an endangered species, Afzelia africana Smith ex Pers in Côte d'Ivoire

Afzelia africana Smith ex Pers is an endangered plant species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The low level of natural regeneration of this species requires it to be reproduced in a controlled environment in order to reconstitute its population by providing good quality seedlings. As the growing medium is an important factor in the quality of the seedlings, the influence of the substrates soil + wood chip compost, soil + poultry droppings, soil + rice straw compost, soil + cocoa pod husk compost and soil on the germination and growth of Afzelia africana in the nursery was evaluated through a completely randomised design. The soil + wood chips compost performed best, with a high germination rate (76.7%). It enabled the production of taller seedlings (15.6 cm; p = 0.004), with larger collar diameters (4.4 mm; p = 0.001), higher total dry matter (2.25 g.plant-1; p = 0.005) and higher root dry matter (2.25 g.plant-1; p = 0.005). The mixture of three parts soil + one part poultry droppings was toxic for the seedlings, resulting in 60.6% mortality. The use of growing media containing a mixture of soil and wood chips compost is effective for the production of vigorous seedlings. This compost can be recommended for nursery production of Afzelia africana.

Study of the effect of five growing media used for the nursery production of Bombax costatum Pellegr. et Vuillet: A multipurpose tree in Côte d'Ivoire

Bombax costatum Pellegr. et Vuillet is a species frequently recommended for reforestation in West Africa. Mass production of vigorous seedlings of this species in nurseries is necessary for the reconstitution of colonies. The effect of five growing media on the growth parameters and dry matter production of Bombax costatum was studied in a completely randomised design. The Soil substrate was compared with a mixture of three (3) portions of Soil + one (1) portion of organic matter based on poultry droppings, rice straw compost, cocoa pod husks compost and wood chips compost, respectively. The growing media enriched with organic matter had pH values close to neutral and high levels of organic matter and nitrogen. The Soil + Poultry droppings substrate favored the production of plants with the highest values of stem height (87.84 cm; p ≤ 0.042), collar diameter (13.72 mm; p ≤ 0.004), number of leaves (19.34; p ≤ 0.025) and total dry matter (20 g.plant-1; p ≤ 0.036). Since the quality of transplant affects plant establishment and initial growth, the substrate Soil + Poultry droppings must be recommended for the nursery production of Bombax costatum, followed by the substrates Soil + Rice straw and Soil + Cocoa pod husks compost.

Synthesis and characterization of activated carbon derived from agricultural waste (cocoa pod husks) as potential electrode for symmetric supercapacitor

Biomass waste of cocoa pod husks is adopted as starting material to synthesize Activated carbon (ACC) using a tube furnace via KOH activation with temperature ranging from 500 °C to 800 °C. The activated carbon prepared at 600 °C (ACC 600 °C) shows improved qualities than the other prepared samples, according to the physico-chemical analyses. A sponge-like morphology, amorphous structure, and microporous and mesoporous carbon are observed in the synthesized material. Trasatti approach is adopted to verify the storage mechanism of the activated carbon material (ACC 600 °C) with the percentage contribution of capacitive and diffusion-controlled effect as 92.4732% and 7.5268% for positive electrode while the negative electrode possesses 75.565% and 24.435% at scan rate of 50 mVs−1. A symmetric device is fabricated from the ACC 600 °C, which gives a maximum specific energy (S.E.) of 19 Wh kg−1 with a corresponding specific power (S.P.) of 453 W kg−1 at a specific current of 0.5 A g−1 in 2.5 M KNO3 solution. The coulombic efficiency of the device is 99.6% after 10000 cycles with 72% capacitance retention. The obtained results suggest that the activated carbon derived from cocoa pod husks could be used as a promising material for supercapacitor's application.

Cocoa pod husk-derived organic soil amendments differentially affect soil fertility, nutrient leaching, and greenhouse gas emissions in cocoa soils

The depletion of soil nutrients and decline in yields on cocoa farms in west Africa over time force farmers to abandon their farms and look for new fertile land, thereby contributing to deforestation. Cocoa pod husks (CPH) are a major farm waste representing considerable export of nutrients from cocoa soils, particularly P and K. Here, the impacts of soil amendment with raw CPH residues, CPH compost, CPH biochar, or a CPH compost-biochar mixture on soil fertility, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nutrient losses via leaching were assessed in two laboratory experiments using two major soil types used for cocoa cultivation in Ghana (an acidic Ferralsol and an alkaline Nitisol). In Experiment 1, soil nutrient availability and CO2 and N2O emissions were quantified, whereas simulation and quantification of nutrient leaching were conducted in Experiment 2. Soil pH increased from 4.8 and 8.6 by 1.4- and 1.1-folds on average in amended Ferralsols and Nitisols, respectively. Soil electrical conductivity increased in soils amended with CPH compost and/or biochar. Addition of raw CPH caused remarkable microbial immobilisation of N and reduced N availability and leaching, whereas CPH compost and/or biochar addition increased soil nitrate availability but reduced soil ammonium availability. Leaching of Ca in Nitisols was reduced when CPH biochar was included in the soil amendment. While soil K availability increased in all amended soils, most notably when CPH biochar was included, soil P and Ca availabilities were greatest where CPH compost was included. Soil total GHG emission (CO2 plus N2O) increased in all amended Ferralsols and the Nitisols amended with CPH compost or raw CPH, with the latter remarkably increasing soil CO2 emission by up to 14.8-folds. Compared to sole CPH compost amendment, CPH compost-biochar mixture amendment reduced soil total GHG emission and N and P leaching. These findings show that composted and/or pyrolysed CPH can be judiciously used to enhance soil fertility in cocoa farms, particularly in acidic soils. Pyrolysed CPH is especially beneficial for reducing soil nutrient leaching and GHG emissions and thus for increasing the sustainability of cocoa production in Ghana and west Africa.

Utilization of cocoa pod husk waste biomass for post-combustion CO2 adsorption

Biomass-derived activated carbon for carbon dioxide (CO2) post-combustion has been drawing attention because they are cost-effective and environment-friendly. In this study, activated carbon was prepared from cocoa pod husk waste (COP) biomass for CO2 adsorption. The COP was pyrolyzed and activated using potassium hydroxide (KOH). The activated carbon prepared was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy- Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The performance of the activated carbons prepared for CO2 was evaluated using a CO2 gas analyzer. Optimization of the adsorption process of CO2 was carried out by varying some important variables affecting the adsorption process. Results showed activated carbon prepared has a good pore structure with high carbon content that supported CO2 adsorption. The Freundlich model provided the best fit with the experimental data while data fitted well to pseudo-second-order kinetics with an adsorption capacity of 6.5 mg/g. The optimal condition for CO2 adsorption, was an adsorption time of 1 min, a Carbonization temperature of 700 °C, and Bed height of 5 cm, and % CO2 removal of 99.5%. The study revealed (COP) biomass as a suitable activated carbon precursor for CO2 capture.

Transformation of Organic Cacao (Theobroma cacao) Husk into Commercial

Introduction: agroindustrial wastes can be transformed to mitigate the negative impacts associated with their disposal. In cocoa production, cocoa pod husk (CPH) constitutes between 67% and 76% of the total cocoa weight. This study focuses on the potential of CPH as a valuable resource for producing activated carbon, cellulose, and potassium hydroxide (KOH)..Objective: The objective of this research was to characterize and transform the CPH obtained from an organic crop in San Bernardo-Ibagué (Colombia) into activated carbon, cellulose, and KOH.Methods: activated carbon was produced through chemical activation using KOH, with a specific procedure for characterizing the obtained product through thermal analysis (TGA) and nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms. For cellulose extraction, an alkaline treatment with 2% w/w NaOH was followed by a bleaching process with 2.5% w/w sodium hypochlorite. KOH was obtained by first extracting potassium carbonate and then causticizing it.Results: activated carbon (AC) was produced with a yield of 25.6%, exhibiting a surface area of 468 m²/g, a mean pore diameter of 10.8 nm, and a total pore volume of 0.228 cm³/g, with 60% fixed carbon, 27% volatile material, 6% ash, and 6% moisture. Conclusions: the transformation of cocoa pod husk into activated carbon, cellulose, and KOH provides a sustainable approach to managing agroindustrial waste, generating valuable products with significant potential for various applications. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing CPH as a resource in agroindustrial processes.

Enhancing hexavalent chromium removal from textile effluent with low-cost adsorbent: simulation and a techno-economic study

AbstractThis paper simulated hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) adsorption using cocoa pod husk biosorbent in a fixed bed column using Aspen Adsorption. This study was designed to show the effectiveness of computational methods in designing, optimising and evaluating the scaled-up adsorption process using low-cost adsorbents. To the best of our knowledge, the economic analysis of Cr(VI) removal using biosorbent adsorption columns with the assistance of Aspen Adsorption and response-surface methodology (RSM) has not been performed previously. Design Expert and RSM were used to optimise and describe the effect of flow rate and initial concentration on breakthrough and saturation times. The breakthrough time was improved by a higher bed height (2.0 m), a wider diameter (2.0 m), and lowering the flow rate (0.010 L/s). The initial concentration had no effect (1.00 mol/L). The predicted breakthrough and saturation time were 29,360 s and 313,351 s, respectively. Two scenarios were economically compared over 20 years. Scenario 1 (1-day breakthrough time) costs $746,585 and Scenario 2 (4-week breakthrough time) costs $1,538,319. This is because Scenario 2 used a taller, wider column which required a greater amount of adsorbent, and 387,873 m3 of water were processed, respectively. Processed water was dependent on the flow rate and breakthrough time. It was concluded that cocoa pod husk could be an efficient adsorbent and the adsorption process can be successfully simulated and optimised. The use of alternative low-cost adsorbents should be encouraged. The economic study showed that simulation and RSM data could successfully be used for economic analysis. Graphical abstract

Influence of enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the degree of hydrolysis of protein hydrolysate obtained from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.)

Influence of enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the degree of hydrolysis of protein hydrolysate obtained from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.)

Cocoa Pod Husk Meal as a Feed Ingredient for Livestock

ABSTRACTCocoa pod husk (CPH) is a by‐product of cocoa. Whilst this by‐product is converted into animal feed in some countries, it is largely left to decompose and cause environmental issues in most South Pacific countries, including Vanuatu. The husk represent 70%–80% of the whole fruit. Its use as animal feed is limited by the presence of antinutritional factors, of which, theobromine is the most prominent. Other antinutritional factors include tannin and phytate. Feeding value of the CPH is improved by reducing these antinutritional factors through broiling, alkaline, and microbial treatment. Exogenous feed enzymes are used to hydrolyze crude fiber. Up to 10% of this by‐product is included in broiler feed and 15% with supplementation of exogenous feed enzymes in layer feed. In pigs, up to 20% can be included into diets of both the sow and growing pig. In ruminants, up to 35% can be used in cattle diet if treated with urea, molasses and/or fermented. The by‐product is widely used as an ingredient and/or energy/protein sources in Africa and Asia. There is scanty literature on its use in the South Pacific countries. In this review, I compiled existing literature on its chemical composition, use in livestock and poultry diets, and existing strategies to improve feeding value. The aim of this review is to project cocoa pod husk meal (CPHM) as a potential feed ingredient as well as energy/protein sources for livestock and poultry in the South Pacific countries, including Vanuatu.

Utilization of cocoa pod husk and wood charcoal into briquettes as an environmentally friendly alternative fuel.

Many efforts have been made to convert cocoa pod husk waste into charcoal briquettes, but they have not yet met the established Indonesian National Standard(SNI). Therefore, steps are needed to produce charcoal briquettes that comply with these standards. One approach that can be taken is by blending cocoa podhusk with wood charcoal since wood charcoal has a sufficiently high calorific value that can enhance the quality of the charcoal briquettes. This research aimsto find the optimal conditions for making briquettes from cocoa pod husk and identify the impact of briquette composition and carbonization time on valuessuch as moisture content, ash content, calorific value, and burning rate of the produced briquettes. The research process includes carbonization, grinding, sieving, adding a binder, and drying, followed by testing the briquettes’ characteristics. This research was conducted by comparing the mass composition of cocoa pod husk charcoal and wood charcoal at ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75, with carbonization times of 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 hours. The best analysis results, in accordance with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI), were obtained at a carbonization time of 2 hours with a composition of 50:50 (cocoa pod husk:wood charcoal). The values include a moisture content of 5.944%, ash content of 7.83571%, calorific value of 4388.5 kcal kg -1 , and burning rate of 0.0034 g second -1 . The length of the carbonization process has a significant impact on the characteristics of the resulting briquettes, including moisture content, ash content, calorific value and burning rate. The longer the carbonization process, the lower the moisture content and ash content, and the higher the heating value and burning rate.

Removal of Rhodamine-B dye from Aqueous Solutions Using Alkaline-Modified Activated Carbon from Cocoa Pod Husk.

Rhodamine-B (RhB) dye in wastewater poses health and environmental risks due to respiratory and eye infections, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenicity, necessitating proper disposal for risk mitigation. This study investigates RhB removal from water using NaOH-modified activated carbon derived from cocoa pod husk (CPHAC). Employing a face-centered central composite design, operational variables were optimized to achieve maximum RhB dye removal efficiency. The study reveals a removal efficiency of 98.87 ± 0.84% under optimized conditions: adsorbent dose of 1.34g, contact time of 71.59min, and an initial RhB concentration of 6.61 ppm. The Freundlich isotherm model demonstrated a good fit, suggesting that RhB removal is governed by heterogeneity and multilayer adsorption. Kinetic experiments revealed that adsorption follows a pseudo-second-order model, indicating likely irreversible adsorption with dye molecules forming chemical bonds on CPHAC's surface. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of CPHAC as an efficient adsorbent for RhB removal from water.

Integrated choline chloride/citric acid-microwave pretreatment for efficient nanolignin extraction and bioethanol production from cocoa pod husk waste

The necessity to address environmental issues has driven efforts toward exploring sustainable bio-based materials as a viable alternative to conventional energy sources. The current study explores the utilization of cocoa pod husk (CPH) biomass for lignin extraction and cellulose production, aiming to contribute to the eco-friendly production of lignin nanoparticles and bioethanol. A synergistic green deep eutectic solvent (DES) (choline chloride/citric acid)-microwave method was employed to effectively fractionate CPH biomass, resulting in an impressive 77.58% lignin removal at 600 W microwave power. The extracted lignin (211.56 mg/g biomass) was utilized to synthesize lignin nanoparticles that were subsequently characterized. Enzyme-driven hydrolysis of the residual cellulose yielded a reducing sugar content of 198.34 mg/g biomass, demonstrating a saccharification efficiency of 70.78%. Fermentation of monomeric sugars by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Scheffersomyces stipitis, respectively, gave a maximum ethanol yield of 130 mg/g biomass with a high fermentation efficiency (67.17%). The alterations in the CPH's surface structure and morphology following sequential pretreatment were assessed through FT-IR, BET, and SEM analyses, facilitating effective enzymatic hydrolysis. The current investigation adds to the increasing recognition of sustainable approaches in leveraging waste biomass resources toward a more environmentally conscious future.

Heat Transfer Analysis of Double Pipe Condenser on the Liquid Smoke Production of Cocoa Pod Husk Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Heat Transfer Analysis of Double Pipe Condenser on the Liquid Smoke Production of Cocoa Pod Husk Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Numerical investigation to predict the impact of pre-heated air on the tar formation of cocoa pod husk gasification in a fixed bed downdraft gasifier

Tar production is a critical aspect of gasification thermochemistry, and it hinders the widening of biofuel utilisation in several applications. Both the gasifier configuration and the operating conditions influence the quantity of tar in PG. Since temperature plays a major role, this study examines the performance parameters of a gasifier across a spectrum of input air temperatures, from 27 to 627 °C, utilising computational fluid dynamics with species transport and porous media models. Since the deviation of numerical predictions from experimental results is within 10 %, the model's validity is confirmed. CO and H2 gas production increased from 19.23 % to 27.12 % and 9.23 %–16.2 %, respectively, over the tested air temperature range; however, the variation in methane content was not significant. Furthermore, the higher heating values of PG and cold gas efficiency were found to be 5–6.8 MJ/Nm3 and 65–69 %, respectively. The study also investigates reaction rates for gasification, combustion, and volatiles' breakdown under various operating conditions. Among the tar species studied, benzene is the most concentrated at 1.6 g/Nm3, followed by toluene at 0.9 g/Nm3, with naphthalene and phenol present in comparatively smaller amounts. Furthermore, the research indicates that an appropriate temperature of gasifying medium can control tar in PG.

Optimization of subcritical water extraction for pectin extraction from cocoa pod husks using the response surface methodology

This study optimized subcritical water extraction (SWE) conditions to maximize pectin yield from cocoa pod husk (CPH) and compared the characteristics of CPH pectin extracted through SWE with those of CPH pectin obtained through conventional extraction (CE) with citric acid. The Box–Behnken experimental design was employed to optimize SWE and examine the influence of process parameters, including temperature (100 °C–120 °C), extraction time (10–30 min), and solid:liquid ratio (SLR) (1:30–2:30 g/mL), on pectin yield. The maximum pectin yield of 6.58% was obtained under the optimal extraction conditions of 120 °C for 10 min with 1:15 g/mL SLR and closely corresponded with the predicted value of 7.29%. Compared with CE, SWE generated a higher yield and resulted in a higher degree of esterification, methoxyl content, and anhydrouronic acid value but a lower equivalent weight. The extracted pectin was pure, had low-methoxyl content, and similar melting and degradation temperatures.

Evaluation of the bioactive composition of cocoa pod husk from Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, for health benefits [pdf

Evaluation of the bioactive composition of cocoa pod husk from Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, for health benefits [pdf

Antioxidant ativity of dichloromethane extract from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.)

Theobroma cacao L. is a plant that is reported to have strong antioxidant potential. A study was carried out to determine the antioxidant activity of dichloromethane extract of cocoa pod husk using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The cocoa pod husk was macerated using n-hexane, ammonia-dichloromethane, and methanol. The TCD extract of cocoa pod husk showed the lowest IC50 value of 14.59 ± 0.54 ppm based on the DPPH inhibition assay. The dichloromethane extract was isolated by gravity column chromatography with Silica gel G60 as the stationary phase and n-hexane: ethyl acetate as the mobile phase (gradient elution system). Fractions with identical staining patterns were combined into six fractions (TCD 1-TCD 6). The TCD 6 showed the lowest IC50 value of 127.05 ± 0.54 ppm according to the DPPH inhibition assay. Based on the TLC results, TCD 4 was further isolated and four fractions (TCD 4.1 to TCD 4.4) were obtained. The TCD 4.4 had the lowest IC50 value (38.66 ± 0.96 ppm). The TCD extract showed the presence of the dominant compound, γ-sitosterol, as determined by GC-MS analysis.

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ENDOPHYTIC BACTERIA ORIGIN FROM ENDOCARP OF COCOA POD HUSK

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is one of the leading commodities in Indonesia. Cocoa pod husk is part of the mesocarp or part of the cacao pod husk that wraps the cocoa beans. Endophytic bacteria are microbes that live in host plant tissues and do not interfere with host plant growth. This study aimed to determine characteristics of endophytic bacterial isolates contained in endocarp cocoa pod husk and to determine the antioxidant power of endophytic bacterial isolates contained in cocoa pod husk. Isolation of endophytic bacteria from the inner pod of cocoa which be expected to produce antioxidants has been carried out. Isolation of bacteria using surface sterilization method. Antioxidant test using DPPH method (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) with UV-Vis spectrophotometer at 600 nm. Two isolates out of four endophytic bacteria were obtained from the results of the preliminary test of phenolic tests, namely isolates of bacteria KK2 and KK3 which had different colony morphology. The results of the secondary metabolite test showed that the bacterial isolates KK2 and KK3 contained flavonoids and phenolics. Based on the test results, the value of IC₅₀ of bacterial isolate KK2 was 2104.58 ppm and KK3 bacterial isolate was 1123.04 ppm. The highest antioxidant activity was possessed by bacterial isolate KK3 and was classified as a very weak antioxidant.

Characterization and Implementation of Cocoa Pod Husk as a Reinforcing Agent to Obtain Thermoplastic Starches and Bio-Based Composite Materials.

When the cocoa pod husk (CPH) is used and processed, two types of flour were obtained and can be differentiated by particle size, fine flour (FFCH), and coarse flour (CFCH) and can be used as a possible reinforcement for the development of bio-based composite materials. Each flour was obtained from chopping, drying by forced convection, milling by blades, and sieving using the 100 mesh/bottom according to the Tyler series. Their physicochemical, thermal, and structural characterization made it possible to identify the lower presence of lignin and higher proportions of cellulose and pectin in FFCH. Based on the properties identified in FFCH, it was included in the processing of thermoplastic starch (TPS) from the plantain pulp (Musa paradisiaca) and its respective bio-based composite material using plantain peel short fiber (PPSF) as a reinforcing agent using the following sequence of processing techniques: extrusion, internal mixing, and compression molding. The influence of FFCH contributed to the increase in ultimate tensile strength (7.59 MPa) and higher matrix-reinforcement interaction when obtaining the freshly processed composite material (day 0) when compared to the bio-based composite material with higher FCP content (30%) in the absence of FFCH. As for the disadvantages of FFCH, reduced thermal stability (323.57 to 300.47 °C) and losses in ultimate tensile strength (0.73 MPa) and modulus of elasticity (142.53 to 26.17 MPa) during storage progress were identified. In the case of TPS, the strengthening action of FFCH was not evident. Finally, the use of CFCH was not considered for the elaboration of the bio-based composite material because it reached a higher lignin content than FFCH, which was expected to decrease its affinity with the TPS matrix, resulting in lower mechanical properties in the material.

Toxicity of methanolic extract from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L) using brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT)

Abstract Indonesia is one of the countries that produces a large amount of Theobroma cacao L. in the world. The extract of water, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and n-hexane of cocoa pod husk contains several chemical constituents that exhibit potential biological activities. This study aimed to determine the toxicity of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) pod husk extract. Cocoa pod husk (6 kg) was first macerated with methanol and then extracted using n-hexane to obtain n-hexane extract (TCH) weighing 68.81 g (40.91%). The methanol extract was further extracted with ethyl acetate to obtain 17.98 g (10.69%) ethyl acetate extract. The methanol extract thus obtained was 76.38 g (45.41%). The methanol extract was further extracted using acetone to give 11.91 g (15.59%) acetone extract (TCA) and 45.33 g (59.35%) methanol extract (TCM). Theobroma cacao Acetone extract (TCA) was further isolated by gravity chromatography column and 11 fractions (TCA 1-TCA 11) were obtained. TCA 3 was re-chromatographed using an eluent system of n-hexane: ethyl acetate (8.5:1.5). The toxicity of the TCA extract and its combined fractions (TCA 1-TCA 11) on Artemia salina Leach larvae was assessed. TCA fraction 3 was found to be toxic with an LC50 value of 136.3 ppm.