J. F. Takrama, W. O. Kumi, G. Otoo, K. Addo and N. Camu
Research Paper I Published August,2015
Journal of Agricultural Science and Food Technology
ABSTRACT
The Cocoa
Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) produces crude ethanol
from cocoa sweatings by spontaneous fermentation and
distillation. The crude ethanol is further refined and
blended into gin and brandy for the local market. The
operation is sub-optimal and results in waste of raw
materials, energy and time. Following a research carried out
on the biodiversity and population of microorganisms
involved in heap fermentation, pure cultures of the yeasts
became available thus prompting the need to further optimize
the process of alcohol production from cocoa pulp juice
using starter cultures prepared from microorganisms isolated
from cocoa heap fermentations. In these experiments, 10
yeast strains and a combination of some of these strains
were used as starter cultures for the fermentation of cocoa
pulp juice to produce ethanol. Results from metabolite
analyses of this study revealed that Saccharomyces
cerevisiae and Issatchenkia orientalis gave
maximum ethanol production of 1571.7 mM and 1396.8 mM within
36 and 48 h of fermentation, respectively as compared to the
spontaneous fermentation which gave maximum ethanol
production of 503.2 mM within 48 h. Pichia kluyveri
which gave the lowest ethanol production (324.9 mM) produced
the maximum mannitol concentration of 249.0 mM.
Key Words: Cocoa sweatings, Metabolite analysis,
HPAEC-PAD, GC-MS, Sensory evaluation.
- Journal of Agricultural Science and Food Technology (JASFT)
- Journal of Medical and Biological Science Research (JMBSR)
- Journal of Scientific Research and Essays (JSRE)
- Research Journal of Educational Studies and Review (RJESR)
- Journal of Physical Science and Environmental Studies (JPSES)
- Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (RJET)
- Pearl Journal of Management, Social Science and Humanities (PJMSSH)