Development of a cocoa pulp probiotic beverage fermented with S. cerevisiae var. boulardii

Cocoa pulp, a byproduct of cocoa processing, offers strong potential as a substrate for probiotic beverages. This study developed a cocoa-pulp probiotic drink fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, a well-known probiotic yeast. A bioprocessing strategy was applied by varying fermentation time, sucrose concentration, and inoculum level. The beverages produced were evaluated for physicochemical properties, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and chemical composition. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), the optimal formulation was identified as 20 hours of fermentation with 3% sucrose and 5% inoculum. This formulation showed high yeast viability (8.101 ± 0.001 log cfu/mL), potent antioxidant activity (81.33%), balanced total soluble solids (9 °Brix), and suitable acidity (1.19% titratable acidity; pH 3.47). Key flavor chemical constituents included ethyl 9-hexadecenoate, hexadecenoic acid ethyl ester, (E)-9-octadecenoic acid ethyl ester, and androst-5,15-dien-3-ol acetate. Overall, cocoa pulp juice fermented with S. cerevisiae var. boulardii demonstrated strong potential for producing functional probiotic beverages while supporting sustainable cocoa food systems.