Author(s)

Bright Fafali Dogbey, Salis Ibrahim, John Apirigi-Eta Abobe

University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.

This present study compared antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of acetone and water extracts of Theobroma cacao beans against Escherichia coli. Total phenolic content (TPC) in both extracts was estimated by the Folin-Denis reagent. The present study showed that the 70% (v/v) acetone extract had a higher extraction yield and TPC (37% and 109 mg TAE g^-1 dry weight) than the water extract (33% and 76 mg TAE g^-1 dry weight). The antioxidant activities of both extracts were estimated by the DPPH Scavenging Assay. The extract obtained using 70% (v/v) acetone showed higher antioxidant activity (54%) compared to the antioxidant activity obtained using water (34%). Antimicrobial activities of acetone and water extracts from Theobroma cacao were measured against Escherichia coli and were screened by agar well diffusion method and further confirmed with the disc diffusion method. The bacterial growth was measured in Mueller Hinton agar. The extracts inhibited the growth of the Escherichia coli cultured, and the acetone extracts showed antimicrobial capacity comparable or equivalent, as seen in commercial ampicillin.

Theobroma cacao, Escherichia coli, Antioxidant Activity, Total Phenolic Content, DPPH Scavenging Activity

Dogbey, B. , Ibrahim, S. and Abobe, J. (2020) Comparison of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Acetone and Water Extracts of Theobroma cacao Beans. Advances in Microbiology, 10, 478-491. doi: 10.4236/aim.2020.109036.