Perfil aromático e de compostos fenólicos de amêndoas de cacau fermentadas na Amazônia brasileira em diferentes temporadas do ano

Abstract

Cocoa is one of the most well-known foods in the world and its sensory attributes and physicochemical characteristics define which by-product will be manufactured from it and what its market value. The Amazon has great potential for production of fine and recognized cocoa in the market, due to its important biodiversity and perception of quality allied to the products coming from this region. The complex composition of the fermented and dry cacao will depend on several factors, such as fruit genotype, environmental conditions and abiotic stress in which the cacao tree grows, soil chemical composition and post-harvest treatments, being the fermentation the primordial stage for obtaining of quality almonds. It is during the fermentation that several groups of microorganisms, like yeasts and lactic and lactic bacteria, act generating biochemical reactions that modify the interior of the cacao seeds. In this study it was verified that the season of the year in which the cocoa is fermented influenced the chemical composition and volatile profile of its fermented almonds. The temperature of the fermentative mass, pH and acidity of the seeds were influenced by the season of the year. The pH and acidity of cocoa beans were also influenced according to the season of the year because they varied during the fermentation days. The principal component analysis showed that the times 0 h and 24 h are the ones that receive the most influence of the period of the year, due to their greater variation. No significant statistical differences (p0,05) were observed in the centesimal composition of the fermented cocoa in both seasons. The total phenolic compounds and the majority of cocoa (catechin and epicatechin) decreased throughout the fermentation and were influenced by the period of the year, with an emphasis on epicatechin, which presented a significant statistical difference (p≤0.05) in dry fermented almonds. Like phenolic Compounds, methylxanthines also decayed throughout the fermentation, but there was no significant statistical difference (p0.05) between the periods of the year. The profile of volatile compounds present in cocoa fermentation and drying showed differences between the seasons of the year, and this information can be used by producers in the labeling of their products to inform the sensory perception of the present volatiles identified in this work. Volatile compounds were found in fine cocoa, such as 2-nonanone and phenylacetaldehyde, and this indicates a potential use of Amazonian cocoa for the production of fine chocolates.