TITLE:
Phytochemical and Antioxidant Profiling of Ivorian Cocoa Powders: A Comparative Study across Cultivation Zones
AUTHORS:
Fanny Karim, Kassi Amian Brise Benjamin, Coulibaly Souleymane, N’ta Christelle Mélissa Ambeu-Loko, Attioua Barthélémy, Sissouma Drissa
KEYWORDS:
Theobroma cacao, Polyphenols, Flavonoids, Tannins, Antioxidant Activity
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment,
Vol.15 No.4,
November
11,
2026
ABSTRACT: Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a major economic crop in Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s leading producer, yet the influence of growing region on the phytochemical quality of exported cocoa powder remains insufficiently documented. This study compared the total polyphenol, flavonoid, and tannin contents, together with the antioxidant activity, of cocoa powders sourced from six major Ivorian production zones (Dabou, Séguéla, Man, Abengourou, Yamoussoukro, and San-Pédro). Bioactive compounds were extracted by ethanol/water maceration and quantified by UV-visible spectrophotometry using the Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminium chloride, and vanillin-type colorimetric assays; antioxidant activity was assessed by ABTS·+ radical scavenging. Total polyphenol content ranged from 10.87 ± 0.35 mg GAE/g (San-Pédro) to 33.06 ± 0.55 mg GAE/g (Dabou), with cultivation zone exerting a statistically significant effect (one-way ANOVA, F(5, 12) = 5.73, p = 0.006). Flavonoid content (3.03 - 5.95 mg CE/g) and tannin content (1.76 - 3.45 mg TAE/g) also varied across zones, although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Antioxidant activity, expressed as ABTS·+ inhibition, ranged from 29.82 ± 0.48% (San-Pédro) to 67.98 ± 0.46% (Dabou) and differed significantly among zones (p