Sources of biologically active compounds: possibilities of using cocoa beans in their undivided form to create functional food products

Objective: to assess the potential of whole cocoa beans for creating functional food products with preserved bioactive properties. Material and methods. A comprehensive analysis of the chemical composition of cocoa beans was performed to determine macronutrients and minor biologically active substances. The methods of highperformance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet, refractometry, and Kjeldahl were used. Results. It was found that the content of a number of biologically active compounds, namely: methylxanthines – 7.93 mg/g, polyphenols – 6.98 mg/g, procyanidins – 5.62 mg/g. The content of theobromine is 7.53 mg/g, caffeine – 2.11 mg/g. in terms of the total amount of polyphenols is 698 per 100 g of cocoa beans, provides the daily requirement for such minor biologically active compounds as polyphenols and phenolic compounds (700–800 mg/day). Thus, to ensure the antioxidant function, it is enough to consume 15 g of natural cocoa beans per day, which allows us to talk about the prospects for their use in the industry of functional foods intended for disease prevention. Conclusion. The study confirms the prospects of using whole cocoa beans for the creation of functional food products. The search for new biotechnological solutions for the industrial application of whole cocoa beans will allow the use of a natural complex of compounds for the maintaning of human health.