Valorization of baobab seeds (Adansonia digitata) as a coffee-like beverage: evaluation of roasting time on bioactive compounds.

Abstract

The baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, and its fruit presents high nutritional value. However, baobab seeds are often discarded and their potential remains underutilized. This study aimed to investigate the effect of roasting time (30/55/80/105min at 200°C) on the physical-chemical properties of baobab seeds and the bioactive compounds in a coffee-like beverage. The results showed a decrease in moisture, Aw (water activity), and hardness of baobab seeds with increasing roasting time. These changes resulted from moisture loss, caramelization, and Maillard reactions, which also affected appearance when compared with unroasted baobab seeds. The pH of the beverage decreased to a value of around 6.01 after 105min of roasting. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the beverage increased with roasting time, reaching 851.2mg GAE/100g (after 80min) and 18.9mmol Fe2+/100g (after 55min), respectively. The caffeine content remained stable around 16mg/100g from 55 to 105min, lower than that of unroasted coffee beans and decaffeinated coffee. These findings suggest the potential for valorizing baobab seeds in the development of a new coffee-like beverage with lower caffeine content.