Non-volatile and volatile composition of West African bulk and Ecuadorian fine-flavor cocoa liquor and chocolate. (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tuenter, Emmy; Delbaere, Claudia; De Winne, Ann; Bijttebier, Sebastiaan; Custers, Deborah; Foubert, Kenn; Van Durme, Jim; Messens, Kathy; Dewettinck, Koen; Pieters, Luc
• Is Part Of: Food research international. Volume 130(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Cocoa liquor -- Chocolate -- Proximate analysis -- Volatile composition -- Non-volatile composition -- HS-SPME GC–MS -- UPLC-HRMS -- Principal component analysis; CH chocolate -- CL Cocoa liquor -- ddMS2 data-dependent MS fragmentation -- DVB/CAR/PDMS Divinylbenzene/Carboxen/Polydimethylsiloxane -- EC Ecuador -- exp experimental -- HCD Higher energy Collisional Dissociation -- HESI Heated ElectroSpray Ionization -- HS-SPME Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction -- KI Kovats retention Index/Indices -- lit literature -- OAV Odor Activity Value -- OTV Odor Threshold Value -- WA West Africa; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Canada -- Periodicals; Food Technology -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; Food-Processing Industry -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Canada -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade; Canada; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108943
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-9969

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: In-depth study of the composition of a bulk and a fine-flavor cocoa liquor and chocolate. Investigation of volatile (HS-SPME GC–MS) and non-volatile metabolites (UPLC-HRMS). A wide range of non-volatile compounds, both polyphenols and non-phenolic compounds, could be identified and quantified. Principal component analysis revealed the main distinctive (non-)volatile constituents. The suggested approach results in a thorough comparison of cocoa samples. Abstract: 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.