Profile of Volatile Compounds of On-Farm Fermented and Dried Cocoa Beans Inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae KY794742 and Pichia kudriavzevii KY794725.

Gilson Celso Albuquerque Chagas Junior,Eloisa Helena De Aguiar Andrade,Lidiane Diniz Do Nascimento,Francilia Campos De Siqueira,Nelson Rosa Ferreira,Alessandra Santos Lopes

doi:10.3390/molecules26020344

Gilson Celso Albuquerque Chagas Junior, Eloisa Helena De Aguiar Andrade + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26020344

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Abstract

This study aimed to identify the volatile compounds in the fermented and dried cocoa beans conducted with three distinct inoculants of yeast species due to their high fermentative capacity: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia kudriavzevii, the mixture in equal proportions 1:1 of both species, and a control fermentation (with no inoculum application). Three starter cultures of yeasts, previously isolated and identified in cocoa fermentation in the municipality of Tomé-Açu, Pará state, Brazil. The seeds with pulp were removed manually and placed in wooden boxes for the fermentation process that lasted from 6 to 7 days. On the last day of fermentation, the almonds were packaged properly and placed to dry (36 °C), followed by preparation for the analysis of volatile compounds by GC-MS technique. In addition to the control fermentation, a high capacity for the formation of desirable compounds in chocolate by the inoculants with P. kudriavzevii was observed, which was confirmed through multivariate analyses, classifying these almonds with the highest content of aldehydes, esters, ketones and alcohols and low concentration of off-flavours. We conclude that the addition of mixed culture starter can be an excellent alternative for cocoa producers, suggesting obtaining cocoa beans with desirable characteristics for chocolate production, as well as creating a product identity for the producing region.

Highlights

We aimed to identify the volatile compounds, for the first time, formed in the on-farm fermentation of Amazonian cocoa beans, from the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia kudriavzevii starter cultures, through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis
All the cotyledons samples of fermented and dried cocoa beans were below 7% and below 8% [23]
All treatments were performed in triplicate (n = 3) according to the standard procedures established by the local producer with no external interference, followed by seven days of fermentation for Control fermentation (CT), ST and PT treatments and six days for SPT treatment once the producer noticed the completion of the process [20]

Summary

Introduction

Being among the most appreciated products in different locations in the world, chocolate is the result of a complex processing process where different physical, chemical and microbiological reactions occur, from the collection of the cocoa fruit until the final product [1,2]. In 2019, Pará state was the largest Brazilian cocoa producer, with a total of 135 thousand tons of harvested fruit expected, representing a 25% growth in five years [3]. The processing of cocoa beans has well-defined stages: harvesting, breaking and opening the fruit, fermentation, drying, roasting, grinding and refining, conching and tempering. Fermentation is one of the essential stages, since it is there that the formation of the precursors of chocolate aroma and flavour occurs

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