Cocoa as a functional food ingredient: targeting lactobacillus for potential prebiotic activity

Theobroma cacao, an evergreen tree, is the source of cocoa. The cocoa bean, from which cocoa is derived, undergoes a fermentation process prior to being dried. The cocoa beans and the cocoa itself represent the basic raw material used for manufacturing chocolate and cocoa derivative products. Derivative products include cocoa mass (in paste or liquid form), cocoa butter and powder (Andújar et al., 2012; Paparella et al., 2025). Cacao constitutes a substantial source of proteins, lipids, minerals, starch and pentosans (Camps-Bossacoma et al., 2019). Furthermore, cocoa has a high concentration of phytochemicals, with polyphenols representing the most abundant group of compounds found within the seed. A plethora of studies have documented the various biological properties of these substances, including antioxidant, anti- apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities.