Physicochemical and Organoleptic Characteristics of Nata De Cocoa from Cocoa Pulp Extraction with Lamtoro Leaf Extract Percentages and Acetobacter xylinum Concentrations

Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture-Animal Husbandry, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia

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Abstract

Nata de cocoa is a functional food made from fermented coconut water and cocoa pulp with the help of Acetobacter xylinum. This study used ANOVA with an error rate of 5% to analyze the effect of the combination of lamtoro leaf extract and starter concentration on the quality of nata de cocoa. The results showed that lamtoro extract had moderate antioxidant activity with an inhibition percentage of 52.15%. The highest treatment (L4A2) results in the highest thickness and hardness. The highest reduced sugar content was recorded at A1 and L4, while the highest crude fiber content was recorded at A2 and L4. The highest pH value was found at L1A1 of 3.138. Microbiological tests showed a total plate count of 6.5 × K)⁻⁵, and the treatment with the highest organoleptic score reached 561. Overall, the combination of lamtoro leaf extract treatment and A. xylinum starter had a significant effect on the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of nata de cocoa.