Cocoa extract is an extract of the kernels of the plant *Theobromacacao* L., belonging to the genus *Theobromacacao* of the family Sterculiaceae. It contains polyphenolic compounds, abundant fats, proteins, and dietary fiber, among other active ingredients. Natural polyphenolic compounds possess significant antioxidant properties and the ability to scavenge free radicals, and pharmacologically, they have effects such as delaying aging, preventing cardiovascular disease, anti-cancer, anti-radiation, and anti-AIDS. Dietary fiber can be used as a food additive to process fortified functional foods and flavored foods with different characteristics, helping to increase the mineral content of food and prevent dehydration and shrinkage of product texture.

Source: The main plant source is the kernel of the plant *Theobromacacao* L., belonging to the genus *Theobromacacao* of the family Sterculiaceae. It is an evergreen tree and one of the world's three major beverages. Dried beans contain 50% fat, are high in protein, and are rich in nutrients, making them a major raw material for chocolate production. It originates from the tropical rainforests of the upper Amazon River region of South America. Cocoa spread to Southeast Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries, to West African countries in the late 19th century, and to Taiwan in 1922. It was introduced to Hainan Province in 1954. Cocoa is distributed in more than 60 countries and regions in Africa, the Americas, Oceania, and Asia. Countries producing over 100,000 tons annually include Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon, accounting for 78% of global production. The United States is the largest consumer of cocoa, followed by West Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and Japan. In China, it is only cultivated on a small scale in Hainan Province. [Plant Morphology] Cocoa is an evergreen tree, reaching up to 12 meters in height. Young branches are covered with soft hairs. Leaves are short-stalked, ovate-oblong or obovate-elliptic, 20-30 cm long, with a long-acuminate apex and a rounded, nearly cordate, or obtuse base. Both surfaces are glabrous or the veins are sparsely covered with stellate hairs; stipules are linear and deciduous. The flower diameter is approximately 1.8 cm; the pedicel is approximately 1.2 cm long; the calyx is pink with 5 lanceolate sepals, persistent; the petals are 5, pale yellow, slightly longer than the calyx, helmet-shaped at the base and abruptly narrowed and revolute; the staminodes are linear, and the fertile stamens are opposite the petals. The drupe is elliptical or oblong, 15-20 cm long, with 10 longitudinal grooves, the inner 5 grooves becoming indistinct when dry; initially pale green, later deep yellow or nearly red, and brown when dry; the pericarp is thick, fleshy, and hardens into a woody hardness when dry; each locule contains 12-14 seeds. The seeds are ovoid, slightly flattened, 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, with thick cotyledons and no endosperm. Flowering occurs almost year-round.