Phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant activity in different cocoa samples from organic and conventional cultivation

Abstract

Purpose – Due to the importance attributed to the phenolic compounds present in cocoa samples for their beneficial effects on health, the purpose of this paper was to analyze four samples of organically and conventionally cultivated cocoa from the south area of Bahia for their composition of phenolics, flavonoids and their antioxidant activity. Design/methodology/approach – Non-fermented beans, fermented beans, roasted nibs and cocoa liquor were analyzed using spectrophotometry. Findings – In general, the samples that contained a higher level of phenolics and flavonoids were the roasted nibs and the non-fermented samples in both cultivation systems. The fermented beans and the liquor contained a lower level. Practical implications – The relationship between the concentration of total phenols and the capacity to “mop up” free radicals from the cocoa extracts appears to be highly significant. The extracts with a higher concentration of phenols also show higher antioxidant activity (non-fermented beans extracts and organically and conventionally cultivated nibs). Originality/value – This work brings an important contribution in the field of agriculture at a time when organic systems of cultivation are an alternative to the conventional system and that pollutes the environment and produces food that contains quantities of chemical contaminants that can damage the health of the consumer. The comparison in phenolic compounds content, flavonoids and antioxidant activity in organic and conventional systems is original and of great importance, showing that the ecological cropping systems are less harmful to the environment and promote improvements to the chemical composition of foods.