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Summary This work evaluated the influence of bioactive compounds on the sensory profile and acceptability of dark chocolate produced from Brazilian hybrid cocoa. The results showed that higher contents of catechin, epicatechin, caffeine, total phenolic compounds and flavonoids contributed to higher intensity of bitterness, cocoa flavour, acid taste, and astringency, and negatively affected the acceptance of chocolate samples from the TSH1188, PH16, and CEPEC2002 varieties. Other varieties SR162 and BN34 showed lower contents of caffeine and phenolic compounds, and higher concentration of theobromine, revealed notes of sweet/caramel and fruity flavour, presented a higher acceptance. This research showed the great potential of the ‘Catongo’ (SR162) and BN34 hybrids from southern Bahia (Brazil) for the production of fine cocoa. The chemical and sensory evaluations may be a strategic tool to help cocoa producers in deciding which genetic varieties should be marketed as fine cocoa, adding value to the product and highlighting promising cocoa varieties.

The distinct properties of cocoa beans may be due to their different geographical and genetic origins which lead to chocolates with different characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate dark chocolate samples made with hybrid cocoa cultivated in the Bahia State, Brazil, regarding the composition of bioactive compounds (spectrophotometry, High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and the sensory characteristics (Quantitative Descriptive Analysis-QDA®), and acceptance test). External preference mapping was conducted by first using principal components analysis (PCA) on the QDA data, and then relating consumer preference (overall liking) to this PCA space by regression analysis. Significant differences among the cocoa varieties were found. Chocolate samples that showed lower acceptability also presented higher content of theobromine, caffeine, anthocyanins, and gallic acid which conferred greater intensities of bitterness, astringency, and intense cocoa flavor. Lower levels of methylxanthines, monomeric phenolic compounds, and anthocyanins allowed the highlight of fruity, sweet and caramelized notes, which contributed to greater acceptance of the chocolate samples. Therefore, these characteristics can be recognized as consumer preference drivers (negative and positive, respectively) for the high cocoa chocolates. It seems that higher values of ephicatechin and catechin had no negative contribution to the flavor of the chocolate samples. The findings of this study can be used in agriculture and in the cocoa/chocolate industry, suggesting the potential and applicability of promising hybrid cocoa, with important characteristics, representing a genetic material of great quality, that may be classified as fine flavor cocoa, associating greater value to the product, and contributing to meet consumer needs.

Cocoa is a fruit of great economic importance, being the main raw material in the manufacture of chocolate. Among the stages of pre-processing, the main and most important is the spontaneous fermentation of the cocoa pulp by microorganisms, especially the yeasts, which initiate the process and contribute to the death of the germ of the seed, releasing compounds that directly influence the quality of the final product (flavor and aroma). Poorly fermented almonds confer bitter and astringent taste on chocolate, so it is advantageous to select autochthonous yeasts with better performance in the fermentation (producing enzymes of interest in the process) to be used as inoculum starter when added in the spontaneous fermentation, where they can accelerate the fermentation and contribute to raising the quality of the product. Therefore, the objective of this work was to qualitatively determine the production of enzymes of biotechnological interest by yeasts for the fermentation of cocoa through the cup plate method, in order to select a candidate yeast inoculum and use molecular typing technique to evaluate the diversity. Many promising yeasts were identified for use as inoculum among the diverse yeast groups found.

Modo de acesso: World Wide Web Inclui bibliografia 1. Agricultura 2. Meio Ambiente 3. Zootecnia 4. Ciências Agrárias I. REDIN, Ezequiel II. Título. CDD-630 Sônia Márcia Soares de Moura -CRB 6/1896 O conteúdo deste livro está licenciado sob a Licença de Atribuição Creative Commons 4.0. Com ela é permitido compartilhar o livro, devendo ser dado o devido crédito, não podendo ser utilizado para fins comerciais e nem ser alterada.O conteúdo dos artigos e seus dados em sua forma, correção e confiabilidade são de responsabilidade exclusiva dos seus respectivos autores www.poisson.com.br

Brazil has been trying to become a key player in the specialized market through the production of fine chocolate. However, there is still no rules about the chemical quality of cocoa beans that allows it to be grouped by micro-regions. In this context, the objective of this work was to determine some chemical parameters of cocoa samples, aiming to contribute to the creation of the designation of origin for the cocoa produced in the south of Bahia. For this propose, proteins, lipids, total minerals, and fatty acid profile analysis were performed. The results obtained were correlated using multivariate statistical tests. The chemical composition of the cocoa beans, allowed to differentiate samples of cocoa, revealing the formation of three groups of samples. The two main components (lipids and proteins) were analysed together, characterizing the producing region. Regarding the analysis of the fatty acid profile, they showed that the cocoa harvested in the main season presents a higher influence of saturated fatty acids, while in the early season the higher influence is of unsaturated fatty acids. Multivariate techniques were able to group the different types of cocoa according to their chemical profile, helping to create an origin denomination for those produced in Southern Bahia.

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ABSTRACT. Cocoa bean is the main raw material used in the production of chocolate. In southern Bahia, Brazil, cocoa farming and processing is an important economic activity. The fermentation of cocoa is the processing stage that yields important chocolate flavor precursors and complex microbial involvement is essential for this process. In this study, PCRdenaturing gradient gel electrophoreses (DGGE) was used to investigate the diversity of yeasts present during the spontaneous fermentation of cocoa in southern Bahia. The DGGE analysis revealed a richness of 8 to 13 distinct bands of varied intensities among the samples; and samples taken at 24, 36, and 48 h into the fermentation process were found to group with 70% similarity and showed the greatest diversity of bands. Hierarchical clustering showed that all samples had common operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the highest number of OTUs was found in the 48 h sample. Variations in pH and temperature observed within the fermenting mass over time possibly had direct effects on the composition of the existing microbial community. The findings reported here indicate that a heterogeneous yeast community is involved in the complex cocoa 18465-18470 (2015) fermentation process, which is known to involve a succession of specialized microorganisms.