Polyphenol and Microbial Profile of Onfarm Cocoa Beans Fermented with Selected Microbial Consortia

Background and Objective: Quality and preference of cocoa as raw material for various mcocoa products primarily depend on fermentation techniques that modulate the resultant flavour and the phytochemical properties. This study investigated the combined effect of selected microbial consortia and bioreactors on phytochemical profiles of fermented cocoa beans.Material and Methods: Three microbial consortia labeled as Treatments (T1, T2, T3) were used as starter culture (≈105cells ml1) for onfarm cocoa fermentation on three chambers (basket, woodbox, and plastic) for 7 days. These novel consortia were T1, Staphylococcus spp + Pseudomonas spp+ Bacillus spp, T2, Staphylococcus spp + Pseudomonas spp +L. lactis, and T3, Bacillus spp+ Lactobacillus spp + Saccharomyces spp+ Torulopsis spp.Results and Conclusion: The microbial profile were significantly (P≤0.05) altered by all treatments (T1, T2, T3) and microbial frequency was enhanced by 5 22.5%. T3 and T1 significantly altered phenolic content in basket chamber. Tannin was significantly (p≤0.05) varied by T1(basket, plastic, wood box) and T2(plastic). Tannin: polyphenol conversion ratio adopted as fermented cocoa bean quality benchmark was significantly enhanced by T1 (basket, woodbox) and T2 (plastic), but was significantly suppressed by T3 (basket). This study evidently concluded that the appropriate synergy of microbial flora and fermenting chambers could achieve good cocoa quality with low polyphenol content (best for cocoa beverages) or high polyphenol content (best for pharmaceutical, confectionery and nutraceutical industries). These findings would avail an economic alternative to the expensive polyphenol reconstitution of cocoa butter used for various industrial products, thereby maximizing economic benefits for both cocoa farmers and industrialists.Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.