Caracterización Fenólica y Actividad Antioxidante de los Residuos de Cáscara de Cacao con Potencial en Materiales Biofuncionales

Resumen

Cocoa cultivation has been a major concern in recent years due to the socioeconomic and environmental challenges involved in its production. Cocoa husks are the main waste product generated during processing and account for approximately 75% of the total fruit. In Colombia, approximately 559,422 tons of this waste were generated in 2022. This by-product contains phenolic compounds that have gained significant interest due to their multiple advantages, including benefits for human health and as a promising option for obtaining natural bioactive compounds used in various applications, such as food packaging, due to their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The purpose of this research is to utilize cocoa shell waste for the extraction of phenolic compounds and the evaluation of their antioxidant properties. The extracts were obtained using Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE). The extraction yield was calculated, and the quantification of total phenolic compounds and the ability to eliminate free radicals was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) methods, respectively. Preliminary tests showed that the hydroalcoholic extract had the highest antioxidant capacity with an inhibition value of 29.83±0.56 mgGAE/g (ABTS test) and a total phenol content of 65.63±2.27 mgGAE/g (Folin-Ciocalteu method). Once the complete analysis is finished, it is expected that these data will allow the extraction conditions to be correlated with the bioactive profile of the extracts, strengthening their potential application in the development of biofunctional materials.