SUSTAINABLE VALORIZATION OFCOCOA ALMOND SHELL (CAS) THROUGH GREEN SYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES WITH POTENTIAL ANTIMICROBIAL APPLICATIONS

• Autores: Téllez-Monzón, Lena Asunción, León Félix, Lizbet, Ogata-Gutiérrez, Katy, Nolazco-Cama, Diana María, Rufino de Almeida Lima, Franciely, Carranza Oropeza, María Verónica, Visitación-Figueroa, Lizardo
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2026
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:revistas.lamolina.edu.pe:article/2382
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistas.lamolina.edu.pe/index.php/eau/article/view/2382
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: antioxidantes; cáscara de cacao; extracción; impacto ambiental; nanopartículas de plata; síntesis verde; cocoa shel; extraction; silver nanoparticles; antioxidants; green synthesis; environmental impact

The  growing  emphasis  on sustainability  is  driving  the  valorization  of  agro-industrial  waste. Perú,  as  the  world's  eighth-largest  cocoa  producer  (Theobroma  cacao),  generates  significant quantities of cocoa  almond shell (CAS), a  byproduct  rich in polyphenols and fiber. This research proposes  a  circular  economy  strategy  through  the  green  synthesis  of  silver  nanoparticles  (AgNp) with  antibacterial  capacity.  Three  antioxidant  compound  extraction  methods  were  evaluated, identifying  ultrasound  combined  with  Soxhlet  (ULSH)  as  the  most  efficient  (achieving  an antioxidant capacity of 88.85 μmol-TE/g), outperforming microwave and reflux methods due to its superior  mass  transfer efficacy and preservation of bioactive  compounds. The  ULSH extract  was used for AgNp synthesis under optimized conditions (pH 10.5; 20 °C; 60 min), yielding spherical and crystalline nanoparticles with an average size of 7.1 nanometers (nm) and a zeta potential of -33.34 mV, indicating high colloidal stability. The formation of metallic silver was corroborated by X-ray diffraction (2 Theta ≈ 38.1°, 43.8°, 64.4°, and 77.5°) and FTIR spectroscopy. The synthesized AgNPs demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens, with inhibition zones  of  1.86  mm  for  Staphylococcus  aureus  and  1.15  mm  for  Salmonella  spp.  These  results highlight the  potential of CAC as a  raw  material  for nanobiotechnology applications, providing a dual solution: sustainable valorization of agro-industrial waste and the development of eco-friendly antimicrobials