Leonardo Fonseca Maciel

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...

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.

Bioactive compounds by UPLC-PDA in different cocoa clones (Theobroma cacao L.) developed in the Southern region of Bahia, Brazil

Purpose Many factors can influence the bioactive compounds in cocoa beans. The purpose of this paper is to characterize the bioactive compound profile of 12 cocoa bean clones produced in Bahia’s Southern region. Design/methodology/approach Total phenolic content, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins were determined using spectrophotometric methods. Caffeic acid, caffeine, theobromine, catechin and epicatechin contents were determined using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with a Photodiode Array Detector. Principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out using to determine the variability of the results found in relation to the clones studied. Findings The authors observed variations in the bioactive compound content between the analyzed cocoa clones. The SRN clone showed the highest levels of phenolic content, flavonoids, caffeine, catechin, and epicatechin. PCA showed that all the clones had unique characteristics related to the composition of their bioactive compounds content, classifying each clone in a well-defined manner. Originality/value This work is an important contribution for the characterization of new cocoa bean clones in relation to their content of bioactive compounds. The information reported in this paper can be decisive in the choice of the variety of cocoa in the production of chocolate with high bioactive compounds content and claim of functional property.

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)