Abstract
The effective extraction of natural compounds from cocoa bean shells using deep eutectic solvents could contribute to the sustainable valorization of this waste material. The objective of this study was to: (1) analyze the extraction kinetics of polyphenols released from cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) bean shells (CBS) by the solid-liquid extraction method using choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents (ChCl-DES) and their aqueous solutions; (2) investigate the effect of choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents (ChCl-DES) aqueous solutions on in-vitro antioxidant capacity and the main individual compounds of the extracts. ChCl-DES were prepared with lactic acid, glycerol, and ethylene glycol in a 1:2 ratio. Aqueous solutions (30%, 40%, and 50% water) to obtain solvents with different physicochemical properties were performed. The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The solution of Fick's law model for plate geometry particles was applied to fit the experimental data and calculate the effective diffusivity coefficient (De). The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was analyzed by a combination of 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The main bioactive compounds were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the type of hydrogen bond donor influences the total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and the main individual compounds in the extracts. Moreover, the washing/diffusion mechanism adequately depicts the extraction kinetics data for total phenolic content. However, the influence of an additional mechanism that enhanced the extraction capacity of deep eutectic solvents compared with organic solvent was confirmed.