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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Corinne Wills, Dr Piergiorgio GentileORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2025 The AuthorsPolysaccharides, widely used in food, pharmaceutical and industrial sectors, are abundant in Theobroma species pod husk waste (T. cacao, T. grandiflorum and T. bicolor). This study examined alkaline extraction using NaOH and KOH with ultrasound assistance to assess the physicochemical and functional properties of the resulting polysaccharides and non-polysaccharides components. The extraction yields of these components varied, with T. cacao-NaOH yielding the highest recovery (38.0 %), followed by T. bicolor-NaOH (14.7 %) and T. grandiflorum-NaOH (8.0 %). NaOH-extracted materials exhibited galacturonic acid content up to 40 %, molecular weight of ∼783 kDa and esterification degree of 38.1 %, while KOH-based extraction retained higher levels of rhamnose (18.0 %) and xylose (28.3 %). Materials extracted via KOH preserved metabolites like proanthocyanidins (1.58 mg catechin equivalent/g in T. grandiflorum), whereas NaOH extraction resulted in greater antioxidant activity, particularly in T. cacao with 127.8 mmol Fe2+/g and 3.26 M Trolox equivalent/g in FRAP and ORAC assays. Rheology showed that polysaccharides extracted from T. cacao and T. bicolor exhibited highest viscosity and gel strength (G′ > G″), while those from T. grandiflorum had lower viscosity. Thermal analyses confirmed that NaOH extractions produced stable, gel-forming polysaccharides associated with pectic components. These findings highlight Theobroma pod husks as a valuable waste source for revalorization.
Author(s): Nunez-Ramirez JM, Martelli A, Halliday T, Thomas B, Wills C, Cannillo V, Bellucci D, Carranza C, Garcia-Rincon PA, Gentile P, Giron-Hernandez J
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Carbohydrate Polymers
Year: 2025
Volume: 368
Issue: 1
Print publication date: 15/11/2025
Online publication date: 15/07/2025
Acceptance date: 14/07/2025
Date deposited: 28/07/2025
ISSN (print): 1879-1344
ISSN (electronic): 0144-8617
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.124070
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.124070
Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.
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