Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content of Different Pod Tissues of Five Selected Cocoa Hybrid Lines

Abstract

The antioxidant activities of the beans, bean husk and pod husk of five selected cocoa hybrid lines (viz. 1, 6, 14, 26 and 71) were determined using Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP) assay. The total phenolic contents were also examined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. The FRAP values and total phenolic contents were significantly higher in bean husk and pod husk than in beans of all selected cocoa hybrid lines. Significantly higher FRAP values were observed in bean (38.43 + 1.49 mg TE/g DW), bean husk (89.33 + 6.77 mg TE/g DW) and pod husk (115.88 + 5.25 mg TE/g DW) of hybrid line 71 than other selected hybrid lines. Bean of cocoa hybrid line 1 had the highest total phenolics (26.44 + 0.35 mg GAE/g DW) whereas significantly higher total phenolic content in bean husk (71.20+ 8.78mg GAE/g DW) and pod husk (74.12 ± 2.09 mg GAE/g DW) of hybrid line 71 were observed than other selected hybrid lines. Linear relationships in bean (R2 = 0.87, p<0.001), bean husk (R2 = 0.88, p<0.001) and pod husk (R2 = 0.87, p<0.001) were attained between FRAP values and total phenolic contents. The results indicated that, among all selected cocoa hybrid lines, the highest FRAP values and total phenolic contents were observed in all pod tissues (bean husk, pod husk and bean) of hybrid line 71 except total phenolic content in beans.