Analysis of Robusta coffee cultivated in agroforestry systems (AFS) by ESI-FT-ICR MS and portable NIR associated with sensory analysis

Abstract

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI(±)FT-ICR MS) and portable micro near-infrared spectroscopy (microNIR), coupled to sensory analysis, were used to propose a new analytical methodology to observe the characteristics of Robusta coffees cultivated in agroforestry systems (AFS). Principal component analysis (PCA) chemometric models provided excellent discrimination of the samples analyzed by ESI(±)FT-ICR mass spectra for the ground coffee grains. Analysis of the spectra allowed for identification of the compounds responsible for distinguishing the samples grown with different intercropping AFS species. The microNIR results corroborated the ESI(-)FT-ICR MS data and the sensory analysis, by grouping together coffees grown in AFS intercropped with Gliricidia sepium and Inga edulis. The coupling of these analytical techniques shows promise in coffee quality control, presenting advantages such as collection at point analysis, speed, and analytical reliability.