Effect of Solvent and Time on Polysaccharides Extraction from Cocoa Pod Husk: Water vs. Citric Acid Extraction
Keywords:
: Polysaccharide; Cocoa pod husk; Water extraction; Acid extractionAbstract
This study aimed to compare two solvents extraction - water extraction and citric acid solution extraction (pH 4.0) - for obtaining polysaccharides from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.), and to evaluate the effect of extraction time on yield, chemical composition, and structural characteristics. The cocoa pod husk contained a high dietary fiber content of 64.02%, consisting of cellulose (34.93%), hemicellulose (35.46%), and lignin (27.93%). Water extraction yielded 82–93 mg glucose/g sample, corresponding to 12.17–13.00% yield, whereas citric acid extraction provided significantly higher yields. The results indicate that citric acid extraction at pH 4.0 for 2 h is an optimal condition to produce high-quality polysaccharide extracts from cocoa pod husk. FTIR and ¹³C NMR analyses confirmed that the isolated polysaccharides were predominantly homogalacturonan-rich pectin with a low degree of methylation, suitable for calcium-induced gelation. The results demonstrated that polysaccharides can be extracted from cocoa pod husk using either water or mild organic acid, making them suitable for application as raw materials in functional foods and health-promoting products.
Downloads
References
Belwal, T., Cravotto, C., Ramola, S., Thakur, M., Chemat, F., and Cravotto, G. (2022). Bioactive compounds from cocoa husk: Extraction, analysis and applications in food production chain. Foods, 11(6), Article 798. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11060798
Ouattara, Y. L., Kouassi, E. A., Soro, D., Soro, Y., Yao, K. B., Adouby, K., Drogui, A. P., Tyagi, D. R., and Aina, P. M. (2021). Cocoa pod husks as potential sources of renewable high-value-added products: A review of current valorizations and future prospects. BioResources, 16(1), 1988-2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357157254
Budaraga, I. K., Febrianti, A., and Kumalasari, R. (2019). Characterization of pectin from cocoa pod husk and potential application as edible film base material. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 365(1), Article 012049. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/365/1/012049
Soares, R. R. P. and Oliveira, L. S. (2022). Cocoa industry by-products: Characterization and applications. Molecules, 27(5), Article 1625. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051625
Campos-Vega, R., Nieto-Figueroa, K. H., and Oomah, B. D. (2018). Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) pod husk: Renewable source of bioactive compounds. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 81, 172-184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2018.09.022
Redgwell, R., Trovato, V., Merinat, S., Curti, D., Hediger, S., and Manez, A. (2003). Dietary fibre in cocoa shell: characterization of component polysaccharides. Food Chemistry, 81, 103-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-8146(02)00385-0
Vriesmann, L. C., Amboni, R. D. M. C., and Petkowicz, C. L. O. (2011). Cacao pod husks (Theobroma cacao L.): Composition and hot-water-soluble pectin. Industrial Crops and Products, 34(1), 1173-1181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.04.004
Vriesmann, L. C., Teófilo, R. F., and Petkowicz, C. L. O. (2012). Extraction and characterization of pectin from cacao pod husks (Theobroma cacao L.) with citric acid. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 49(1), 108-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2012.04.018
Zainal, S., Phang, L. Y., Fai, C. K., Fadzillah, A. A. M., Ab Karim, N., Ramli, N., and Abd-Aziz, S. (2024). Autoclave-mediated extraction of low-methoxyl pectin from cocoa husk: Optimization, characterization, and functional properties. Foods, 13(4), Article 669. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13040669
Vriesmann, L. C., and Petkowicz, C. L. O. (2017). Cacao pod husks as a source of low-methoxyl, highly acetylated pectins able to gel in acidic media. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 101, 146-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.03.082
AOAC. (2000). Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. (15th ed). Virginia: Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Inc.
Dubois, M., Gilles, K. A., Hamilton, J. K., Rebers, P. A., and Smith, F. (1956). Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Analytical Chemistry, 28, 350-356. http://doi.org/10.1021/ac60111a017
Miller, G. L. (1959). Use of Dinitrosalicylic acid reagent for determination of reducing sugar. Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 31, 426-428.
Miliauskas G., Venskutonis P. R., and van Beek T. A. (2004). Screening of radical scavenging activity of some medicinal and aromatic plant extracts. Food Chemistry, 85(2), 231-237.
Sobamiwa, O., and Longe, O. G. (1994). Utilization of cocoa-pod pericarp fractions in broiler chick diets. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 47, 237-244
Devi, E. (2014). Extraction of pectin from citrus fruit peel and its utilization in preparation of jelly. International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, 3(5), 1925-1932.
Ussarat Kathabthim, N., Samri, N., Chitsai, K., and Hongkriangkrai, R. (2023). Development of pectin extraction methods from watermelon peel using organic acids for food industry applications. Srinakharinwirot University Journal (Science and Technology), 15(30), Article 251598. (In Thai)
Phontrakulpipat, P., and Pintathong, P. (2023). Preparation of polysaccharide and fructooligosaccharide extracts from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.). https://postgrads.mfu.ac.th/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/6351701288.pdf (In Thai)
Muñoz-Almagro, N., Valadez-Carmona, L., Mendiola, J. A., Ibáñez, E., and Villamiel, M. (2019). Structural characterisation of pectin obtained from cacao pod husk: Comparison of conventional and subcritical water extraction. Carbohydrate Polymers, 217, 69-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.04.040
Chamniankul, S., and Saewan, N. (2020). Development of cocoa pod extract for utilizing in cosmetic products. In Proceedings of the School of Cosmetic Science Conference. Mae Fah Luang University.
Santiago-Gómez, I., Carrera-Lanestosa, A., González-Alejo, F. A., Guerra-Que, Z., García-Alamilla, R., Rivera-Armenta, J. L., and García-Alamilla, P. (2025). Pectin extraction process from cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.) and characterization by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Chem Engineering, 9(2), Article 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/chemengineering9020025
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Srinakharinwirot University Journal of Sciences and Technology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Srinakharinwirot University Journal of Sciences and Technology is licensed Under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) License, Unless Otherwise Stated. Please Read Journal Policies Page for More Information on Open Access, Copyright and Permissions.
