LIPID EXTRACTION EFFICIENCY IN CHOCOLATE

Bromatology's main objective is to work with the significant constituents of food, that is, those present in quantities greater than 1%. Lipids are energetic organic compounds that contain essential fatty acids for the body and act as transporters of fat-soluble vitamins. The most used methods for extracting lipids in chocolates are Soxhlet (6 to 8 hours of hot extraction) and Bligh and Dyer (1 hour of cold extraction). The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of two methods (hot and cold) of lipid extraction in dark chocolates. Seven samples of dark chocolates added with different plant extracts were used. In the extraction of lipids by the Soxhlet method, n-hexane was used as solvent for a period of 8 hours of extraction and by the Bligh and Dyer method, chloroform, methanol and water were used as solvents for a period of 60 minutes of extraction. The lipid contents of the chocolates evaluated showed a significant difference between the methods, but did not show a significant difference between the samples in each method. The Soxhlet method had the highest extraction content in all samples, ranging from 37.51% lipids (dark chocolate with hibiscus) and 41.01% lipids (dark chocolate with guarana). The Bligh and Dyer method had a lower lipid extraction efficiency, ranging from 29.79% lipids (dark chocolate with cinnamon) to 32.35% lipids (guarana dark chocolate). Chocolate normally has a fat content greater than 30% from the ingredients used. As seen in the results, the most efficient method for extracting lipids in dark chocolates was the Soxhlet method, which employs hot extraction for a long period, thus favoring better extraction and dissolution of lipids.