Planta Med 2019; 85(18): 1576-1577
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3400418
Main Congress Poster
Poster Session 2
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Analysis of the volatile and non-volatile fraction of cocoa liquors and chocolates produced with cocoa beans from West-Africa and Ecuador

E Tuenter
1   Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp,, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
,
C Delbaere
2   Cacaolab bvba,, Durmakker 12, 9940, Evergem, Belgium
,
A De Winne
3   Centre for Aroma & Flavour Technology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Cluster Bioengineering Technology, KU Leuven, Technology Campus Ghent,, Gebroeders De Smetstraat 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
,
S Bijttebier
1   Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp,, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
4   Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Business Unit Separation and Conversion Technology (SCT),, Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium
,
D Custers
1   Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp,, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
,
K Foubert
1   Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp,, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
,
J Van Durme
3   Centre for Aroma & Flavour Technology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Cluster Bioengineering Technology, KU Leuven, Technology Campus Ghent,, Gebroeders De Smetstraat 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
,
K Dewettinck
5   Laboratory of Food Technology and Engineering, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University,, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
,
L Pieters
1   Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp,, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
20 December 2019 (online)

 

Cocoa liquor is the product obtained from the beans of Theobroma cacao L. and together with cocoa butter, sugar and soy lecithin, it is the major ingredient of chocolate. There are four main varieties of T. cacao, including the Forastero variety, considered as “bulk”, and the Nacional variety, considered a “fine-flavor” cocoa.

In this research, both cocoa liquor and chocolate, produced from a blend of West African (“bulk”) cocoa beans and cocoa beans originating from Ecuador (Nacional variety, “fine-flavor”), were thoroughly investigated with regard to their composition. The nutritional composition was determined to obtain information about the levels of the primary metabolites, while secondary metabolites were investigated by means of GC-MS (gas chromatography – mass spectrometry) and UPLC-HRMS (ultra performance liquid chromatography – high resolution MS), for volatile and non-volatile compounds, respectively.

A wide range of compounds were analyzed: almost 70 volatile compounds were identified and semi-quantitatively determined by GC-MS, while more than 40 compounds were (tentatively) identified by UPLC-HRMS, of which 15 were quantified. Interestingly, various volatiles, which contribute significantly to the final flavor, were more abundant in the West African cocoa liquor and chocolate, while with regard to the non-volatile secondary metabolites, the Ecuadorian samples were richer, when it comes to most of the quantified substances. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) of the datasets confirmed that the four samples can be clearly distinguished based on their chemical profile. Certain specific constituents, including alcohols, pyrazines, amino acids and biogenic amines were found to be highly influential in causing this clear differentiation between the samples.