RESUMO

The present study was carried out to investigate the proximate composition, fatty acid (FA) profile and volatile compounds (VC) of cooked green licuri (Syagrus coronata) - an unripe stage that is then cooked - and naturally ripe licuri almonds. The FA profiles were determined by gas chromatography (GC) and the VC composition was evaluated using headspace-solid-phase microextraction coupled with GC-MS. The cooked green licuri presented higher moisture, and lower contents of ashes, proteins and lipids than naturally ripe licuri almonds. The FA profiles of cooked green licuri and naturally ripe licuri almonds showed that saturated FAs were predominant (80%) in both samples, and the concentrations of lauric, palmitic, and oleic acids in naturally ripe licuri almonds were higher than those in cooked green licuri. Limonene was the predominant compound in naturally ripe licuri almonds. The main class of VC in the cooked green licuri were aldehydes, with 3-methyl-butanal and furfural being the main species. Alcohols, such as 3-methyl-butanol and 2-heptanol, were the main class of VC in naturally ripe licuri almonds. Among the volatile compounds, 1-hexanol and 2-nonanone contributed to the aroma of cooked green licuri almonds, whereas 2-heptanone, ethanol, and limonene contributed to the aroma of naturally ripe licuri almonds (almonds not subjected to any cooking process). In a word, cooked green licuri and naturally riped licuri almonds, despite having different proximate compositions, present similar fatty acid profile and distinct aromatic characteristics. Therefore, cooked green licuri and naturally riped licuri almonds are an alternative source of nutrient and could be investigated for the use in the food industry to enhance flavor and aroma to new products.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The present work was conducted to evaluate the volatile profile of Ecuadorian Forastero, CCN-51, ETT103 and LR14 cocoa beans during traditional fermentation in laurel wood boxes followed by a sun-drying process. Fifty-six volatiles were identified with HS-SPME-GC-MS. Aldehydes, alcohols and ketones were the compounds that mainly characterized the fresh cocoa. The main compounds formed during the anaerobic fermentation step were esters and acids, while in the aerobic fermentation step, an increase in ester-, aldehyde- and acid-type compounds was observed. Finally, after the drying step, a notable increase in the acid (i.e., acetic acid) content was the predominant trend. According to the genotypes, ETT103 presented high contents of terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and ketones and low contents of unfavorable acid compounds. The CCN-51 and LR14 (Trinitarian) varieties stood out for their highest amounts in acids (i.e., acetic acid) at the end of primary processing. Finally, the Forastero cocoa beans were highlighted for their low acid and high trimethylpyrazine contents. According to the chemometric and Venn diagram analyses, ETT-103 was an interestingly high-aromatic-quality variety for cocoa gourmet preparations. The results also showed the need for good control of the processing steps (using prefermentative treatments, starter cultures, etc.) on Ecuadorian genotypes of Trinitarian origin.

RESUMO

Aiming to improve the quality of cocoa, preconditioning of cocoa after harvesting and before fermentation has become an on-farm processing step of great interest in recent times. The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of a pre-drying process on the volatile composition of Ecuadorian bulk (Forastero and CCN-51) and fine-flavour (ETT103 and LR14) cocoa at the end of primary processing. A total of 63 volatile compounds including aldehydes, alcohols, acids, ketones, esters, terpenes, lactones and other miscellaneous compounds were identified in cocoa samples by HS-SPME-GC-MS. The use of a pre-drying step revealed a varietal homogenization and a reduction in the fermentation time, making this preconditioning step an inexpensive and attractive option for farmers. Moreover, different varietal behaviour was observed after pre-drying, the fine-flavour varieties obtaining a clear improvement in aromatic quality with higher levels of compounds imparting positive notes.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is one of the most widely consumed edible seeds in the world affected by on-farm processing. This study investigated the effect of different drying techniques, namely oven drying (OD), sun drying (SD), and a modification of sun drying using black plastic sheeting (SBPD), on the volatile profile of fine-flavor and bulk cocoa varieties analyzed by HS-SPME-GC-MS. A total of sixty-four volatile compounds were identified in fresh and dried cocoa. As expected, the volatile profile was clearly modified after the drying step, showing strong differences among cocoa varieties, this factor and its interaction with the drying technique having greater influence according to the ANOVA simultaneous component analysis. A principal component analysis revealed a close relationship between the volatile content of bulk cocoa samples dried by the OD and SD techniques, whereas slight volatile modifications were perceived among fine-flavor samples dried using the three different techniques under study. Overall, the results provide the basis for the potential application of the simplest inexpensive SBPD technique in order to accelerate the drying process of sun drying and produce cocoa with similar (fine-flavor cocoa) or improved (bulk cocoa) aromatic quality to that formed using the traditional SD or the small-scale OD.

RESUMO

Two artisanal fermentation processes for Criollo cocoa beans with different turning start times (24 h and 48 h) were studied. The aromatic profile of cocoa turned every 24 h (B1) displayed volatile compounds associated with fermented, bready, and fruity aromas. When cocoa beans were fermented with a different turning technique with a start time of 48 h (B2), they provided volatile compounds mainly associated with descriptors of floral, woody, sweet, fruity and chocolate aromas. The turning start time of 48 h stimulated a microbial profile dominated by yeast such as Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Pichia manshurica, and Meyerozyma carpophila, favoring the production of several key aroma markers associated with cocoa bean fermentation quality, such as phenylethyl acetate, 2-phenylacetaldehyde, 3-methylbutanal, 2-phenylethyl alcohol, 2,3-butanedione, 3-methylbutanoic acid, and 2-methylpropanoic acid, while an immediate turning start time (24 h) favored an aerobic environment that stimulated the rapid growth of Acetobacter pasteurianus, Bacillus subtilis and a higher biodiversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (e.g., Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus acidilactici), which increased the production of ethyl acetate and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone. Volatile compound generation and microbial populations were evaluated and analyzed by multivariate analysis (principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis) to find correlations and significant differences. This study shows that the method of turning Criollo cacao beans can lead to the formation of desirable aromatic compounds.

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Poison frogs are known for the outstanding diversity of alkaloid-based chemical defences with promising therapeutic applications. However, current knowledge about chemical defences in Dendrobatoidea superfamily has two sources of bias. First, cryptic, brown-colored species have been neglected in comparison to those conspicuously colored, and second, there has been little interest in characterizing metabolites other than alkaloids mediating defensive functions. In an effort to contribute to fill the gap of knowledge about cryptic species and broadening the spectrum of compounds analyzed we have applied head-space solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) for extracting amphibian alkaloids and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Silverstoneia punctiventris. RESULTS: Using the skin from 8 specimens in 4 biological replicates we have found 33 different compounds. Twenty of them were classified as VOCs into 15 chemical classes including alkanes, alcohols, carbonyl compounds, methylpyridines, benzothiazoles, N-alkylpyrrolidines, pyrazines, and sesquiterpenoids, some of which were previously reported as repellents, defence compounds or defence pheromones in other organisms, and as sex pheromones in a treefrog. Interestingly, six of the remaining compounds were identified as alkaloids previously reported in other toxic/unpalatable dendrobatid frogs. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of alkaloids and VOCs found in the Silverstoneia genus, which has been assumed for decades as non-chemically defended. This study establishes HS-SPME/GC-MS as a new application for a simultaneous approach to amphibian alkaloids and VOCs in poison frogs while opens up new research questions to assess the co-occurrence of both type of compounds and to investigate the evolutionary significance of a defence gradient that includes olfactory avoidance, unpalatability, and toxicity in dendrobatids. In addition, our results show that amphibian alkaloids could have a dual function (olfactory at distance, taste by contact) never explored before neither in Silverstonaeia nor in any other dendrobatid species.

RESUMO

Cocoa products are obtained from the seeds of Theobroma cacao L. In this research, cocoa liquor and chocolate produced from cocoa beans from West Africa (Forastero, "bulk" cacao) and Ecuador (Nacional variety, "fine-flavor" cacao), were investigated, using a novel approach in which various analytical techniques are combined in order to obtain in-depth knowledge of the studied cocoa samples. The levels of various classes of primary metabolites were determined and a wide range of secondary metabolites, including volatile organic acids, aldehydes, esters, pyrazines, polyphenols, methylxanthines and biogenic amines, were identified and/or quantified by HS-SPME GC-MS (headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography - mass spectrometry). and UPLC-HRMS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry). Odor Activity Values (OAV) were calculated to assess the contribution of individual volatiles on the final aroma. Various volatile aroma compounds were more abundant in the West African cocoa liquor and chocolate, while the Ecuadorian samples were richer in most quantified non-volatile metabolites. Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed that the four samples can be clearly distinguished. Alcohols, pyrazines, amino acids and biogenic amines were found to be highly influential in causing this differentiation. The proposed approach can be useful in future studies on more extensive cocoa sample collections, in order to highlight similarities and pinpoint typical differences in chemical composition among these samples.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Propolis is a complex mixture of natural sticky and resinous components produced by honeybees from living plant exudates. Globally, research has been dedicated to studying the biological properties and chemical composition of propolis from various geographical and climatic regions. However, the chemical data and biological properties of Mexican brown propolis are scant. The antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) sample collected in México and the isolated compounds is described. Cytotoxic activity was evaluated in a central nervous system and cervical cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity of EEP was evaluated in a C6 cell line and cervical cancer (HeLa, SiHa, and CasKi) measured by the 3-(3,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. The antibacterial activity was tested using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. Twelve known compounds were isolated and identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Additionally, forty volatile compounds were identified by means of headspace-solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry time of flight analysis (HS-SPME/GC-MS-TOF). The main volatile compounds detected include nonanal (18.82%), α-pinene (12.45%), neryl alcohol (10.13%), and α-pinene (8.04%). EEP showed an anti-proliferative effect on glioma cells better than temozolomide, also decreased proliferation and viability in cervical cancer cells, but its effectiveness was lower compared to cisplatin.

RESUMO

The interactions between edaphoclimatic factors, forms of processing, drying, storage and roasting, directly affect the sensorial results. This study applied four forms of wet-processing in six different altitude strata, aiming to potentiate the final quality of the drink. The final quality of the coffees was measured using the sensory technique and HS-SPME-GC/MS analyses. Results indicate that the use of starter culture in the fermentation phase constitutes a relevant alternative for lower-altitude zones, and that spontaneous fermentations have a higher potential of sensorial results at above 900 m. In the sequence, the volatile compounds were affected according to the type of processing and the altitude. The compounds in general that contributed the most to the formation of the math models were: 2-furylmethanol, octadecanal, 2-acetyl-3-methylpyrazine, 2,3-Dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one (DDMP) and caffeine. The positive effects of the fermentation corroborate with new sensory routes, modification of the flavor and volatile compounds, consequently, generating new fermentation strategies.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The aim of the present work was to optimize the main experimental variables of a procedure using HS-SPME/GC-MS as the analytical methodology to establish the profile of the volatile compounds present in aerial parts of Hedeoma multiflorum Benth. The influence of the type of fiber, equilibrium time, extraction time and extraction temperature on the composition of the volatile compounds was determined using response surface methodology (RSM), and the parameters of the models were corroborated by multiple linear regressions. The results showed that the regression models generated adequately explained the data variation and represented the relationships between the parameters and their responses. The optimal analysis conditions from the contour plots were established (DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, with a 10 min equilibrium time, 10 min extraction time, and 40°C). Under these conditions, 41 volatile components in the whole plant were determined, which represents more than those reported using hydrodistillation.

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue optimizar las principales variables experimentales de un procedimiento HS-SPME/GC para establecer el perfil de compuestos volátiles presentes en la parte aérea de Hedeoma multiflorum Benth. Se determinó la influencia de las variables tipo de fibra, tiempo de equilibrio, tiempo de extracción y temperatura de extracción sobre la composición de los volátiles, utilizando una met odología de superficie de respuesta (RSM) y los parámetros del modelo se corroboraron por regresión lineal múltiple. Los resultados demostraron que los modelos de regresión generados explican adecuadamente la variación de los datos y representaron significativamente las relaciones reales entre los parámetros y sus respuestas. Las condiciones óptimas de análisis fueron establecidas (DVB/CAR/PDMS, con un tiempo de equilibrio de 10 minutos, un tiempo de extracción de 10 minutos y trabajando a 40°C). Utilizando esta metodología, se determinaron 41 componentes volátiles en planta entera, más que los reportados mediante hidrodestilación.

Assuntos