Influence of drying methods on cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.): antioxidant activity and presence of ochratoxin A

Abstract This work aimed to evaluate the performance of different drying methods in the development of phenolic compounds, methylxanthines, and antioxidant activity in cocoa bean and to evaluate the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA). Antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH, FRAP, ORAC and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays. Phenolic compounds and methylxanthines were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV). OTA was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (UPLC-FLR). It was found that during coco...