Evaluation of the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of polyphenols from macambo seeds (Theobroma bicolor)

Authors

  • Loguard Smith Rojas Uribe Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias de la Industria y Producción. Carrera de Agroindustria. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador
  • Marlis Nicole Bones Choez Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias de la Industria y Producción. Carrera de Agroindustria. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6859-7674
  • Ángel Virgilio Cedeño Moreira Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias Pecuarias y Biológicas Laboratorio de Biología y Microbiología. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6564-5569
  • Luis Humberto Vásquez Cortez Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Carrera de Agroindustria, Babahoyo, Los Ríos, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1850-0217
  • Jhoan Alfredo Plua Montiel Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura. Av. General Rumiñahui s/n Sangolquí, Ecuador, P.O.BOX: 171-5-231B. Instituto Superior Tecnológico Consulting Group Ecuador-Esculapio. Av. 10 de Agosto N35-108 e Ignacio San María.
  • Matteo Radice Campus Puyo, Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Km 2 1/2 Via Puyo-Tena, Puyo 160150, Ecuador. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4771-8912

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18633/biotecnia.v27.2672

Keywords:

Theobroma bicolor, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of polyphenols extracted from Macambo (Theobroma bicolor) seeds using two extraction methods: ultrasound and agitation. Two parts of the seed (shell and cotyledon) were used as sources for the extracts, and three hydroalcoholic solutions (1:3, 1:1, 3:1) were tested. The results showed that maceration by agitation with a 1:3 hydroalcoholic ratio was the most effective, achieving the highest extraction yields for both the shell (60.35 %) and the cotyledon (68.06 %). Additionally, both sources of the extract presented high polyphenol content and significant antioxidant activity, underscoring the potential of Macambo polyphenols as natural antioxidants. Specifically, high polyphenol content was observed in the shell (17.31 mg GAE/g) and cotyledon (10.40 mg GAE/g) extracts using maceration by agitation and ultrasound, respectively, at the 1:3 solvent ratio. The extracts exhibited notable antioxidant activity, particularly in the shell (23119.24 µmol TE/100 g) and the cotyledon (96943.78 µmol TE/100 g) under ultrasound extraction with the same solvent ratio. The antimicrobial activity, evaluated against Salmonella and E. coli, showed inhibition values of up to 88.97 %, making these extracts a promising option for the development of preservatives or antimicrobial treatments and offering an alternative for the sustainable use of natural resources.

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Author Biographies

Loguard Smith Rojas Uribe , Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias de la Industria y Producción. Carrera de Agroindustria. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador

Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias de la Industria y Producción. Carrera de Agroindustria. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador

Marlis Nicole Bones Choez , Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias de la Industria y Producción. Carrera de Agroindustria. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador

Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias de la Industria y Producción. Carrera de Agroindustria. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador

Ángel Virgilio Cedeño Moreira, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias Pecuarias y Biológicas Laboratorio de Biología y Microbiología. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador.

Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Facultad de Ciencias Pecuarias y Biológicas Laboratorio de Biología y Microbiología. Campus Finca Experimental “La María”. CP. 121250. Km. 7 ½ vía El Empalme, cantón Mocache, Los Ríos. Ecuador.

Luis Humberto Vásquez Cortez, Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Carrera de Agroindustria, Babahoyo, Los Ríos, Ecuador.

Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Carrera de Agroindustria, Babahoyo, Los Ríos, Ecuador.

Jhoan Alfredo Plua Montiel, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura. Av. General Rumiñahui s/n Sangolquí, Ecuador, P.O.BOX: 171-5-231B. Instituto Superior Tecnológico Consulting Group Ecuador-Esculapio. Av. 10 de Agosto N35-108 e Ignacio San María.

Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-ESPE, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y la Agricultura. Av. General Rumiñahui s/n Sangolquí, Ecuador, P.O.BOX: 171-5-231B.
Instituto Superior Tecnológico Consulting Group Ecuador-Esculapio. Av. 10 de Agosto N35-108 e Ignacio San María.

Matteo Radice, Campus Puyo, Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Km 2 1/2 Via Puyo-Tena, Puyo 160150, Ecuador.

Campus Puyo, Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Km 2 1/2 Via Puyo-Tena, Puyo 160150, Ecuador.

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Volumen 27, enero - diciembre

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2025-08-23

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Rojas Uribe , L. S., Bones Choez , M. N., Cedeño Moreira, Ángel V., Vásquez Cortez, L. H., Plua Montiel, J. A., & Radice, M. (2025). Evaluation of the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of polyphenols from macambo seeds (Theobroma bicolor). Biotecnia, 27, e2672. https://doi.org/10.18633/biotecnia.v27.2672

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Vol. 27 (2025): January - December

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Research Articles

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