Eliete da Silva Bispo

Phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant activity in different cocoa samples from organic and conventional cultivation

Purpose – Due to the importance attributed to the phenolic compounds present in cocoa samples for their beneficial effects on health, the purpose of this paper was to analyze four samples of organically and conventionally cultivated cocoa from the south area of Bahia for their composition of phenolics, flavonoids and their antioxidant activity.Design/methodology/approach – Non‐fermented beans, fermented beans, roasted nibs and cocoa liquor were analyzed using spectrophotometry.Findings – In general, the samples that contained a higher level of phenolics and flavonoids were the roasted nibs and the non‐fermented samples in both cultivation systems. The fermented beans and the liquor contained a lower level.Practical implications – The relationship between the concentration of total phenols and the capacity to “mop up” free radicals from the cocoa extracts appears to be highly significant. The extracts with a higher concentration of phenols also show higher antioxidant activity (non‐fermented beans extracts...

Bioactive compounds in different cocoa (Theobroma cacao, L) cultivars during fermentation

One component that contribute to the flavor and aroma of chocolate are the polyphenols, which have received much attention due to their beneficial implications to human health. Besides bioactive action, polyphenols and methylxantines are responsible for astringency and bitterness in cocoa beans. Another important point is its drastic reduction during cocoa processing for chocolate production and the difference between cultivars. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the modifications in monomeric phenolic compounds and methylxanthines during fermentation of three cocoa cultivars grown in southern Bahia. Cocoa beans from three cultivars were fermented and sun dried and monomeric phenolic compounds and methylxantines were determinated. The results showed that each cultivar have different amounts of phenolic compounds and the behaviour of them is different during fermentation. The amount of methylxantines varied but there was not a pattern for methylxantines behavior during process. In addition a huge reduction in phenolic compounds could be observed after drying. Differently of phenolic compounds, methylxantines did not have great modification after sun drying. So, the differences observed in this study between cultivars, take to the conclusion that the compounds studied in those cocoa cultivars have different behavior during fermentation and drying, which consequently, give to these cultivars differences in sensory characteristics.

Aproveitamento industrial de marisco na produção de lingüiça

It was studied the process and the acceptibility of the vongole (Anomalocardia brasiliana) sausage, beyond to evaluate the stability of the frozen product as to chemical, physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory aspects. The vongole sausage had the following formulation: 48% vongole, 5% soy protein, 15% water, 25% swine fat, 3% albumin, 2% blend of cure salts and NaCl, 1.5% flavouring, 0.5% colouring. The final product was stored during three months at -18oC, and the shelf life study included pH, moisture, proteins, lipids, nitrogen total volatile base, lipid oxidation tests, pathogenic and toxigenic microorganisms analysis, overall appearance, odour, flavour, texture avaliatons. According to sensorial analyses, the vongole sausage reached good score; it acceptibility index (AI) was 78-87% for the all evaluated attributes, specially for flavour and texture. The product was evaluated as ideal vongole flavour and ideal seasoning flavour for 66.67% and 73.33% of the tasters, respectivelly. The results of the purchase intention test showed that 46.67% of the consumers had probable or certain intention to buy the product. The data of microbiological, physico-chemical, chemical and sensory analyses showed that the vongole sausage was stable during three months at -18oC.

Assessment of the fermentative process from different cocoa cultivars produced in Southern Bahia, Brazil

The “witch broom disease” caused by the fungus Moniliophtora perniciosa drastically reduced cocoa production in Southern Bahia (Brazil), and cloning techniques has been used with trees that showed resistance to the fungus. On the other hand, the genotype, agronomic management, soil and weather characteristics, as well as post-harvest technology directly affected the quality of beans. The present study aimed at evaluating the fermentation process of two cultivars of cocoa beans resistant to “witch broom disease” and a non-resistant cocoa cultivar susceptible to the disease, produced in south of Bahia. The fruits of all cultivars were physically evaluated and fermentations were monitored. The total phenolics and tannins were also evaluated. The results show many differences among cultivars, and the main ones include the low weight and number of seeds in SR162 cultivar and the high pulp weight in the PH16 cultivar. During fermentation, cultivars showed different behavior with regards to pH, acidity and temperature and had different reduction in tannins and total phenolics. Therefore, one may conclude that the cultivars studied showed distinct physical and chemical characteristics. Thus, it is recommended that fermentation should be conducted differently for each cultivar, in order to obtain their best features to produce high quality chocolates.

Sensory profiles of chocolates produced from cocoa cultivars resistant to Moniliophtora Perniciosa

The present study evaluated the sensory quality of chocolates obtained from two cocoa cultivars (PH16 and SR162) resistant to Moniliophtora perniciosa mould comparing to a conventional cocoa that is not resistant to the disease. The acceptability of the chocolates was assessed and the promising cultivars with relevant sensory and commercial attributes could be indicated to cocoa producers and chocolate manufacturers. The descriptive terminology and the sensory profile of chocolates were developed by Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA). Ten panelists, selected on the basis of their discriminatory capacity and reproducibility, defined eleven sensory descriptors, their respective reference materials and the descriptive evaluation ballot. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Tukeys test to compare the means. The results revealed significant differences among the sensory profiles of the chocolates. Chocolates from the PH16 cultivar were characterized by a darker brown color, more intense flavor and odor of chocolate, bitterness and a firmer texture, which are important sensory and commercial attributes. Chocolates from the SR162 cultivar were characterized by a greater sweetness and melting quality and chocolates from the conventional treatment presented intermediate sensory characteristics between those of the other two chocolates. All samples indicated high acceptance, but chocolates from the PH16 and conventional cultivars obtained higher purchase intention scores.

USE OF UMBU (SPONDIAS TUBEROSA ARR. CAMARA) PULP FOR PREPARATION OF DIET CEREAL BAR

Umbu is a fruit very appreciated by the Brazilian Northeast people, but these fruits show great perishability. Cereal bars production with fruits addition is interesting because allow the technological use of noble raw materials, besides to reduce umbu post-harvest losses. The aims of this study were the production of diet bars with umbu pulp and to carry out the chemical, physical and sensory characterization of these products. Different gums were studied as binder agents and sucralose and acesulfame-K as sweeteners, in the elaboration of four treatments of diet bars: BUA (Arabic gum), BUC (carrageenan), BUT (tara), BUX (xanthan) and the control treatment BUCT (with glucose syrup and sucrose). The chemical, physical and sensory data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey test (p≤0.05). The results revealed that the products presented high contents of protein, dietary fibers, lipids and ash. The BUX treatment reached better acceptance by the consumers related to odor, flavor, texture and overall quality attributes; it revealed higher positive purchase intention (58 %), followed by the BUT treatment (33%). The BUCT, BUC and BUA treatments reached lower acceptance by the consumers due to lower score to overall quality. The use of umbu pulp and gum in the preparation of diet cereal bar showed to be a good alternative to reduce fruit loss and to increase market value of the products that presented potential for consumers in general or with restriction to the use of sucrose.

Classification and compositional characterization of different varieties of cocoa beans by near infrared spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analyses

Abstract Effective and fast methods are important for distinguishing cocoa varieties in the field and in the processing industry. This work proposes the application of NIR spectroscopy as a potential analytical method to classify different varieties and predict the chemical composition of cocoa. Chemical composition and colour features were determined by traditional methods and then related with the spectral information by partial least-squares regression. Several mathematical pre-processing methods including first and second derivatives, standard normal variate and multiplicative scatter correction were applied to study the influence of spectral variations. The results of chemical composition analysis and colourimetric measurements show significant differences between varieties. NIR spectra of samples exhibited characteristic profiles for each variety and principal component analysis showed different varieties in according to spectral features.

Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in different cocoa clones (Theobroma cacao L.) developed in the southern region of Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT Brazil is the sixth largest producer of cocoa beans in the world, after Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and Cameroon. The southern region of Bahia stands out as the country’s largest producer, accounting for approximately 60% of production. Due to damage caused by infestation of the cocoa crop with the fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, which causes ‘witch’s broom disease’, research in cocoa beans has led to the cloning of species that are resistant to the disease; however, there is little information about the development of other fungal genera in these clones, such as Aspergillus, which do not represent a phytopathogenicity problem but can grow during the pre-processing of cocoa beans and produce mycotoxins. Thus, the aim of this work was to determine the presence of aflatoxin (AF) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in cocoa clones developed in Brazil. Aflatoxin and ochratoxin A contamination were determined in 130 samples from 13 cocoa clones grown in the south of Bahia by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. The method was evaluated for limit of detection (LOD) (0.05–0.90 μg kg−1), limit of quantification (0.10–2.50 μg kg−1) and recovery (RSD) (89.40–95.80%) for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2 and OTA. Aflatoxin contamination was detected in 38% of the samples in the range of <LOD–17.795 μg kg−1, with AFB1 in 25% of the total samples, whereas ochratoxin A was positive in 18% of the samples in the range of <LOD–274.90 μg kg−1.

Characterization of polyphenol oxidase in two cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivars produced in the south of Bahia, Brazil

The reactions leading to the formation of precursors of chocolate flavor are performed by endogenous enzymes present in the cocoa seed. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) presence and activity during fermentation of cocoa beans is responsible for the development of flavor precursors and is also implicated in the reduction of bitterness and astringency. However, the reliability of cocoa enzyme activities is complicated due to variations in different genotypes, geographical origins and methods of fermentation. In addition, there is still a lack of systematic studies comparing different cocoa cultivars. So, the present study was designed to characterize the activity of PPO in the pulp and seeds of two cocoa cultivars, PH 16 and TSH 1188. The PPO activity was determined spectrophotometrically and characterized as the optimal substrate concentration, pH and temperature and the results were correlated with the conditions during the fermentation process. The results showed the specificity and differences between the two cocoa cultivars and between the pulp and seeds of each cultivar. It is suggested that specific criteria must be adopted for each cultivar, based on the optimal PPO parameters, to prolong the period of maximum PPO activity during fermentation, contributing to the improvement of the quality of cocoa beans.

Safety and Quality in the Agricultural Product Chain in Brazil

An agriculture-intensive country should be aware of natural toxins, including both mycotoxins and cyanotoxins, which are closely associated with the quality of raw materials, for food safety and industry. The major production chains – corn, wheat, beef, and broiler chicken – are the top components of agribusiness, and they should be tracked by reliable and practical tools. The corn chain is of particular concern in food production; intensive controls, multi-year mycotoxin monitoring, and improved harmless/sustainable management methods for uninterrupted farming in the tropicsubtropics are needed to achieve a long-lasting trend. The rapid control of natural toxins (mycotoxin and cyanotoxin) has focused on immunochemical methods developed with highly specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) matched with chroma‐ tographic methods. In parallel, the promising widespread application of nondestructive analytical methods based on NIR (Near Infrared Reflectance)