EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF FERMENTATION ON MICROBIOLOGY, PROXIMATE AND MINERAL COMPOSITIONS OF COCOA BEAN (THEOBROMA CACAO (L.)

The study investigated effects of different methods of fermentation on microbiology, proximate and mineral composition of cocoa bean (Theobroma cacao (L.). Open, close and local methods of fermentation of cocoa beans were carried out separately for five days. Microbial analysis was carried out using pour-plate technique while proximate and mineral analyses were determined using standard methods. The bacterial count of cocoa beans at 5th day of fermentation ranged from 2.0 x 104cfu/ml in local method to 1.0x 102cfu/ml in close method. The bacteria isolated and identified included Bacillus subtilis,B. cereus,B.licheniformis,Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus. Fungi count also ranged from 1.03x 104sfu/mlin local method to 1.0x 102sfu/ml in close method. Fungi isolated and identified included Aspergillus niger,A. flavus,Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The pH of the fermenting cocoa beans ranged from 8.0 in local to 3.5 in close method. Also, the proximate analyses of the fermenting beans showed that the moisture content ranged from 55.56 to 50.89%; fat from 23.56to 21.93%;protein from 13.46 to 11.06%;ash from 5.94 to 5.91% and carbohydrate from 13.46to11.06%.All values ranged from close to local method with open method having higher values than close but lower than local method. There was a significant increase in the concentration of calcium, copper, iron, sodium potassium and magnesium in the fermenting cocoa beans.Keywords: Cocoa bean, fermentation, microbiology, proximate, mineral