Banca de DEFESA: LUIZ CARLOS PIACENTINI

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : LUIZ CARLOS PIACENTINI
DATE: 10/02/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Auditório Petrini Girardelli, UFPA, Altamira.
TITLE:

QUALITY OF COCOA BEANS FERMENTED WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF AERATION.

KEY WORDS:

Cocoa Tree, Physical-chemistry, Bioactive.

PAGES: 55
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Agronomia
SUBÁREA: Fitotecnia
SUMMARY:

The lack of standardization in the fermentation process of cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.) directly affects the quality, price sold and acceptance in the chocolate industry. Therefore, adjustments to the standard fermentation process are necessary to improve the quality and acceptance of the almonds. The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of increasing levels of fermentation trough aeration on the chemometrics of cocoa beans. Cocoa fruits harvested in the municipality of Altamira-Pará were used. The troughs were adapted with different percentages of aeration in relation to the standard, being: T1 – Standard, T2 – Standard + 25% a holes in the troughs and T3 – Standard + 50% of holes. the parameters evaluated were: fermentation temperature in the troughs, biometrics, color, physicochemical parameters and bioactive compounds in the beans subjected to the fermentation and drying process and also a control sample of unfermented and dried cacao beans. The T1 experiment showed an increase increased in the temperature from the second day of fermentation until reaching a maximum value of 44.6ºC on the sixth day. The other treatments (T2 and T3) also showed a similar behavior of temperature increase starting from the second day, reaching maximum temperatures of 46.7º for experiment T2 and 47.1º for T3; however, both experiments reached their maximum temperature on the fourth day of fermentation. The physical-chemical parameters and bioactive compounds of the almonds were altered by the levels of aeration, particularly in experiment T3, where there was a 4% decrease in ash content, a 19% decrease in acidity, and a 41% increase in pH, along with an 18% increase in lipids and a 6% increase in energy value compared to the standard T1. When compared to raw almonds, experiment T3 showed a 29% reduction in titratable acidity, a 45% reduction in carbohydrates, and a 290% increase in pH (which is consistent with the fermentation process, as the microorganisms involved consume carbohydrates and increase acidity due to the organic acids produced by certain bacteria), a 169% increase in lipids, a 29% increase in proteins, and a 28% increase in energy value. Regarding bioactive compounds, experiment T3 showed an 18% increase in total phenolic compounds (TPC), a 9% increase in total flavonoids (TF), and an 8% increase in antioxidants (AA) measured by ABTS compared to the standard experiment T1. In relation to dried raw almonds without fermentation, experiment T3 had a 44% increase in TPC, an 87% increase in TF, and a 178% increase in AA measured by ABTS; this increase may have resulted from the loss of bioactive compounds that could have occurred during the drying process of the raw, unfermented almonds. Regarding the color analysis, the coloration was altered in experiment T3, highlighting increases of 29% in yellow (b), 17% in saturation (c), and 10% in hue (h) compared to the standard T1. In relation to the unfermented raw almonds, experiments T1, T2, and T3 showed higher values for the color parameters. The biometric change was notable only for the width of the almonds in experiment T3, where there was a 10% increase compared to T1. The principal component analysis revealed that lipids, total flavonoids, antioxidants, and the pH of the almonds largely explain (77%) the influence of increased aeration in the fermentation tanks. The aeration process was effective in reducing fermentation time and contributed to the improvement of almond quality compared to the standard method. This technique, by promoting better air circulation during fermentation, favors the development of more complex chemical characteristics, enhancing the uniformity of the process in a shorter time than that used as the standard.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1065086 - GLEDSON LUIZ SALGADO DE CASTRO
Interna - 3266519 - TELMA FATIMA VIEIRA BATISTA
Externa ao Programa - 3160109 - LUIZA HELENA DA SILVA MARTINS - UFRAExterna à Instituição - MARISTELA MARQUES DA SILVA - UFPA