Physicochemical and Antioxidant Variability in Fermented Beans of 40 Cocoa Clones Under Evaluation in the Brazilian Amazon

Cocoa breeding programs need comparative data on bean composition to support clone selection, yet few studies evaluate many genotypes simultaneously under the same conditions. This study characterized the physicochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of fermented beans from 40 cocoa clones grown at a single site in Uruará, Pará State, Brazilian Amazon, as part of the Teste de Clones Brasil (TCB) breeding program. Moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, pH, titratable acidity, total polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity (ORAC) were determined, and univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to assess variability and group clones by compositional profile. All parameters differed significantly among clones, suggesting a major genotypic influence on bean composition under homogeneous cultivation and post-harvest conditions. Lipid content ranged from 9.69 g/100 g DM (TCB-144) to 45.09 g/100 g DM (TCB-126), which also had the highest protein content (21.62 g/100 g DM); total polyphenols ranged from 0.18 to 1.70 g GAE/100 g DM (highest in TCB-25); and ORAC ranged from 21.11 to 392.77 µmol TE/g (highest in TCB-23). Principal component analysis (53.1% of the variance explained) and hierarchical clustering grouped the clones into three profiles: higher carbohydrate, lower lipid, and higher pH; balanced lipid, protein, and phenolic contents; and higher polyphenol contents with variable acidity and ORAC. Overall, compositional profiling provides a descriptive basis for clone selection and for guiding post-harvest management in cocoa breeding programs.