An improved method for the extraction and quantitation of anthocyanins in cocoa beans and its use as an index of the degree of fermentation

A method for the extraction and quantitation of anthocyanins in cocoa beans is described. The principles of the method involve extraction in dilute acid, concentration and purification by means of a disposable reverse phase column and quantitation spectrophotometrically. The method recovers >95% of anthocyanins in the acid extract and has an average coefficient of variation of 12%. Results are presented for the effects of time of fermentation and the time of fermentation plus drying on the anthocyanin content of cocoa beans. Cut test results and anthocyanin assay results are presented for commercial samples of different origins.