PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY (ASPARTIC ENDOPROTEINASE AND CARBOXYPEPTIDASE) OF COCOA BEAN DURING FERMENTATION

This study was carried out to examine the changes in cocoa aspartic en doproteinase and carboxypeptidase activities, mass pH and temperature during 144 h (6 days) of fermentation using shallow wooden boxes. The results showed that at 72 h of fermentation, the activity of aspartic endoproteinase was higher than the original value. However, at 96 h th e carboxypeptidase activity was higher than its original activity. The study also found a high correlation 0.99 (P < 0.05) between the mass temperature with the aspartic endoproteinase at 48 h of fermentation. No correlation was found between the mass pH and temperature with the carboxypeptidase during fermentation. The degradation of vicilin-class globulin was about 88.8% and that of albumin was 47.4% at the end of fermentation. (C) 1998 SCI.