article_snippet.sent: Each cocoa pod has 40 seeds, which are composed of cocoa butter and used in the making of chocolate – and some drugs.
article_snippet.sent: This information can be used to develop biomarkers for screening and breeding of new cacao varieties with novel fatty acid compositions of cocoa butter.
article_snippet.sent: A mixture of lipids called cocoa butter makes up about half of each seed.
article_snippet.sent: Cocoa butter consists of almost equal amounts of palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid.
article_snippet.sent: During cacao seed development, large amounts of fatty acids are synthesised that are rich in saturated and monounsaturated lipids,’ Professor Guiltinan said.