Biotechnological process for obtaining bioaromas from leaves of cashew apple trees

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) is native to mainland Central and South America belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. The cashew apple fruit and nut are widely used and appreciated for its flavor quality. The aim of this work was to obtain bioaromas produced from the fermentation of the leaves of the cashew tree. Fermentations were performed at room temperature for 48 hours in three conditions: natural (leaves only), leaves in sterile distilled water and leaves in a solution containing 10% glucose. Every 24 hours of processing, sensorial (by a panel of five trained judges), microbiological (total mesophilic bacteria, molds and yeasts) and chromatographic (extraction by dynamic headspace method) analysis was performed on fermented products. Sensorial analysis revealed the presence of sweet fruity aromas characterizing citrus and green odor notes in all samples. The citric note of aroma was more prominent in all three types of fermentation without significant difference between them. However, the aroma was less intense in the fermentations realized with green leaf alone and it was significantly different (p<0.05) between the other fermentations. Furthermore the production of bioaromas generated after 24 hours led to an increase of total bacteria and fungi to the order of 102 CFU/mL. A large number of volatile compounds belonging to esters, terpenes, ketones and aldehyde classes were identified in the fermented products.

Acknowledgement: We thank the INCT/CNPq (National Council for the Development of Science & Technology, Brazil for the financial support received while the first, second and third co-authors thanks CNPq for fellowships while the last co-author thanks CAPES for fellowships