Project 01: Nutritional Composition and Biological Activities of Cocoa (Theobroma cacoa L.) Beans of Four locally Improved Accessions

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), is an economically significant plantation crop primarily cultivated for its beans, which serves as a fundamental ingredient in chocolate production. In addition to chocolate, cocoa is widely used for other non-food applications like pharmaceuticals and cosmetics due to its rich bioactive compounds and unique physiochemical properties. Cocoa has become an important export agricultural product and is planted as an intercrop under coconut plantations in Sri Lanka. Despite its potential, Sri Lanka’s cocoa industry remains underdeveloped when compared to other major cocoa producing countries. Nutritional composition and bioactive properties of cocoa can vary significantly based on the region and variety due to differences in climate, soil conditions, and genetic factors. However, up to date there is hardly any detailed investigations in Sri Lanka on the nutritional composition and bioactive properties of cocoa. Therefore, a comprehensive study of nutritional properties and bioactivity studies on locally grown cocoa accession is needed for a better understanding of the value of Sri Lankan origin cocoa.