Valorization of Cocoa Pod Husk: Optimization of Hemicellulosic Hydrolysate Detoxification for Fermentation through Phenolic Extraction

• Grant number: 25/24409-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 16, 2026
• End date: July 15, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcus Bruno Soares Forte
• Grantee: Ana Clara Salim Marques Ferreira
• Supervisor: Nadia Mulinacci
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/10054-8 - Use of Cocoa pod husks in Bioprocesses: Detoxification Strategies for Biomass Valorization, BP.IC

Abstract

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) represents an abundant and underutilized agro-industrial residue. Its composition includes high amounts of lignocellulosic material, as well as sugars and bioactive phenolic compounds known for their health-promoting effects. However, in biotechnological applications that aim to convert the sugars present in CPH hemicellulosic hydrolysate (HH) into polyols (xylitol and arabitol), phenolics and other biochemical compounds can act as inhibitors, reducing yeast performance. Therefore, the removal of inhibitory compounds is essential to achieve efficient fermentation and to valorize CPH within a sustainable biorefinery concept. This project proposes to investigate how the detoxification methods applied in Brazil impact on the HH composition and affect fermentation performance. Aiming to improve detoxification efficiency and generate additional high-value products, the project wants to explore the extraction of phenolic compounds from CPH as a necessary preliminary step prior to hydrolysis. The extraction of phenols will be carried out using 70% ethanol, the solution recovered for the HPLC-DAD-MS analyses, while the solid fraction will then proceed to pectin extraction and acid hydrolysis to obtain a hemicellulosic hydrolysate (HH-P), after which it will be subjected to detoxification steps. HH, HH-P and the phenolic extract will have its contents characterized by HPLC-DAD-MS and ¹H-NMR. The phenolic extract will be quantified by total phenols and be tested for its antioxidant properties. The outcomes of this study are expected to contribute to the integral valorization of cocoa pod husk, expanding knowledge on detoxification methods and bioactive components of CPH, while supporting sustainable approaches for agricultural waste utilization.