Cocoa is known worldwide as the source of the beans that become chocolate, but the cacao plant is also a rich reservoir of functional molecules with remarkable potential for human health. The course From Leaf to Superfood: Biotechnological Valorization of Amazonian Plants explored how antioxidant polyphenols found in cacao leaves can be recovered through innovative biotechnological approaches and incorporated into food products, transforming an often-overlooked plant resource into a value-added ingredient.
Hosted by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) with support from UNU-BIOLAC, the course exposed participants to the complete value chain of developing a functional food product—from field collection in Amazonian cacao-growing regions, through green extraction technologies and laboratory analyses, to chocolate production and biological validation. Participants learned how compounds extracted from cacao leaves can be integrated into chocolate formulations, potentially enhancing their nutritional and antioxidant properties while creating new opportunities for sustainable use of forest resources.
Beyond the technical achievements, the course highlighted a powerful conservation strategy: ecosystems are more likely to be protected when they provide sustainable value to local communities. By identifying beneficial compounds in native plants and developing innovative products based on them, biotechnology can help create economic incentives that support forest conservation while promoting biodiversity-friendly livelihoods. Cacao leaves served as a compelling case study, but the broader message applies across the extraordinary diversity of Amazonian plants whose functional potential remains largely unexplored.
A particularly valuable aspect of the programme was its integration of multiple ways of knowing. Field visits to Kichwa chakras and interactions with local communities connected participants with traditional practices, cultural heritage, and Indigenous knowledge, while laboratory sessions immersed them in advanced concepts such as green extraction using NADES, antioxidant characterization, and in vitro biological validation. Together, these experiences demonstrated how biotechnology can bridge ancestral knowledge and modern biochemistry to build a strong scientific and socioeconomic case for the conservation and sustainable use of Amazonian ecosystems.
Our sincere thanks to Dr. Ery Odette Fukushima for her vision and leadership in coordinating this outstanding programme, and to the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), its collaborating laboratories and partners, for providing an exceptional learning environment that combined scientific excellence, innovation, and commitment to the sustainable future of Amazonian biodiversity.
