Antibacterial activity of the cacao bean husk, Theobroma cacao L

Objective. To test the antibacterial activity of different fractions of cacao bean husk (Theobroma cacao L.). Materials and methods. Antibacterial activity of different fractions of cacao bean husk was analyzed using agar diffusion method with native and ATCC strains. These fractions were studied by HPLC and GC/MS. Results. The Chloroform fraction exhibited antibacterial activity through an inhibition percentage of 34.90% (100 ?g/?l) for Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 and 52.40% (100 ?g/?l) for Streptococcus agalactiae (native). It also showed 512 ?g/ml as a minimum inhibitory concentration for Bacillus cereus and 128 ?g/ml for Streptococcus agalactiae. Conclusions. This research is the first report known in Colombia about cacao bean husk exhibiting in vitro antibacterial activity, which is an important advance for the cacao industry. This work opens the door for further related studies to determine the spectrum of inhibition with other microorganisms.