Comparative analysis of total flavonoid, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of Theobroma cacao Pod Husk extract and its derived fractions

Secondary metabolites from plants are known to be promising sources of raw materials for drugs in terms of safety. This research focuses on cacao pod husk as a candidate for discovering natural antioxidant compounds. The stages in this study include the extraction of cacao pod husk using methanol as a solvent, followed by liquid-liquid fractionation to produce ethyl acetate and acetone fractions. Subsequently, total flavonoid and phenolic content, DPPH antioxidant activity tests, and GCMS metabolite analysis were conducted. The research results indicate that the ethyl acetate fraction has the highest total flavonoid and phenolic content compared to methanol extract and acetone fraction. The methanol extract has the highest antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 0.0736 mg/mL. The identified metabolites belong to the groups of polyphenols, flavonoids, steroids, and their derivatives, as well as some volatile compounds such as hexadecanoic acid methyl ester. Compounds with potential antioxidant properties include Eugenol, Myristicine, Piperine, and Theobromine.