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

Flavonoid, polyphenols, especially catechin and epicatechin,are major components in cocoa products, which are known for antioxidant properties. Cocoa bean requires fermentation process in order to obtain good taste. During the fermentation process, polyphenols are oxidized by polyphenol oxidase to form quinone and 2-quinon. 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 fermentation, 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 roasting. 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 (IC50) of cocoa beans. An unfermented bean showed a very strongly active antioxidant activity with IC50 of 7.848 ppm, whereas three-day fermentation showed a strong antioxidant activity with IC50 of 35.961 ppm, and five-day fermentation is moderately active with IC50 of 55.976 ppm.