Traceability of Functional Volatile Compounds Generated on Inoculated Cocoa Fermentation and Its Potential Health Benefits

Abstract

Microbial communities are responsible for the unique functional properties of chocolate. During microbial growth, several antimicrobial and antioxidant metabolites are produced and can influence human wellbeing. In the last decades, the use of starter cultures in cocoa fermentation has been pushed to improve nutritional value, quality, and the overall product safety. However, it must be noted that unpredictable changes in cocoa flavor have been reported between the different strains from the same species used as a starter, causing a loss of desirable notes and flavors. Thus, the importance of an accurate selection of the starter cultures based on the biogenic effect to complement and optimize chocolate quality has become a major interest for the chocolate industry. This paper aimed to review the microbial communities identified from spontaneous cocoa fermentations and focused on the yeast starter strains used in cocoa beans and their sensorial and flavor profile. The potential compounds that could have health-promoting benefits like limonene, benzaldehyde, 2-phenylethanol, 2-methylbutanal, phenylacetaldehyde, and 2-phenylethyl acetate were also evaluated as their presence remained constant after roasting. Further research is needed to highlight the future perspectives of microbial volatile compounds as biomarkers to warrant food quality and safety.

Study of Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Properties of Various Mix of Chocolate Milk Masses with Different Protein Content

“…Many studies and numerous publications confirm that cocoa beans are a raw material carrying a powerful load of antioxidants, valued in today's diets mainly for their antiatherogenic, antiradical, and anticancer properties [3][4][5][6]. The genotype of cocoa beans, the region in which they are grown, the environmental conditions, as well as the conditions and parameters of applied technological operations, especially fermentation, drying, roasting, and conching, have a significant influence on the formation of sensory characteristics and antioxidant properties of cocoa bean processing products [7][8][9][10].…”

Study of kefir drinks produced by backslopping method using kefir grains from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Microbial dynamics and volatilome profile

“…Diacetyl and 2-heptanol are two important flavoring agents of the dairy fermented food products (Reale et al, 2016) that are also responsible for the buttery flavor as well as caramel and fruity odor in red wine vinegar (Yu et al, 2012). The production of secondary alcohols such as 2-heptanol can be achieved from 2-heptanone a ketone also found among TK and BK samples (Mota-Gutierrez et al, 2019). The main OTU of the BK samples was Lc.…”

“…Additionally, among the yeasts, S. cerevisiae was associated with pentanoic acid and T. delbrueckii was associated with phenethyl alcohol (Figure 5; FDR<0.05). It is also interesting to note that, as recently reviewed by Mota-Gutierrez, Barbosa-Pereira, Ferrocino, & Cocolin (2019), VOCs are organic compounds that are naturally produced by microorganisms during fermentations as secondary metabolites, and they may also provide health benefits to consumers in addition to their sensory properties. In kefir, several health promoting features are ascribed to this non-microbial fraction composed by organic acids (as lactate, acetate, propionate and butyrate), short chain fatty acids, ethanol, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, esters, alcohol compounds, acetoin (Bengoa et al, 2018).…”

Cocoa, Chocolate, and Human Health

“…Besides flavanols, theobromine and other methylxanthines, peptides [8], and volatile aroma compounds [9] might also affect human health, e.g., theobromine, which seems to improve memory in rats [10]. Many studies, being intervention studies or epidemiological observations, do not focus on single compounds, but on cocoa as such; in some cases, enriched in polyphenols.…”

“…During ripening and post-harvest processing, such as fermentation, drying, and roasting of cocoa beans, chemical changes occur to a lesser or greater extent, which concern almost all compounds. This has been known for many years regarding the flavanols, but proteins [17] and volatile compounds [9] are also formed or decomposed. Chocolate, the most popular cocoa product, shows remarkable losses in polyphenols and vitamin E during 18 months of storage.…”