Volatile compounds of copoazú (Theobroma grandiflorum Schumann) fruit

Vinegar production from <i>Theobroma grandiflorum</i> SCHUM (cupuassu)

<abstract> <p>The tropical fruit cupuassu comes from <italic>Theobroma grandiflorum</italic> (SCHUM), a close relative of cocoa. Cupuassu has a rich yet delicate flavour profile with notes of chocolate, pineapple, passion fruit and other fruits. Here, we produced a cupuassu-fruit wine using a <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic> inoculum (and univariate analysis to determine conditions for optimum ethanol production) and then fermented this wine to produce a delicate and unique cupuassu vinegar using acid-acid bacteria. The cupuassu wine was produced by fermentation of juice chaptalized with sucrose, with a final ethanol concentration of 10% (v/v). Acetic-acid fermentations were carried out in both a bubble-column reactor and a mechanically non-aerated reactor (high-surface reactor), producing final concentrations of 4.5 and 3.3% (w/v) acetic acid, respectively. The ethanol- and acetic-acid yields obtained were comparable to those of other fruit wines and fruit vinegars. The cupuassu vinegar retained the rich flavor profile of the cupuassu. We believe that the production of flavorsome products from local plants can have benefits for conservation by promoting ecologically sustainable agriculture and may contribute to cultural identity of Amazon people.</p> </abstract>

Influence of pulp on the microbial diversity during cupuassu fermentation

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum Schum) is a fruit belonging to the same genus as cocoa and, through seed fermentation, a chocolate-like product called "the cupulate" is obtained. The pulp is removed from the seeds before fermentation because its abundance hinders the process. Unlike cocoa, little is known about the microbial diversity involved in cupuassu fermentation. The goal of this study was to explore the use of next-generation sequencing to identify the yeasts and bacteria communities involved in cupuassu seed fermentation on three different pulp concentrations (0, 7.5, and 15%) as well as two turning schemes on the microbial growth. In order to do that, a massive sequencing of the 16S and ITS4 rRNA region (S) using the Illumina MiSeq Platform identified some genera of bacteria and yeasts, respectively, in the fermentation environment. Taxonomic analyses of both communities, especially at the genus level, revealed a predominance of yeasts such as Pichia and Hanseniaspora, and bacteria such as Acetobacter and Lactobacillus. A predominance of bacteria over yeasts diversity was observed in the experiments with higher pulp concentrations (15%). The physicochemical analysis showed that fermentation of samples with 15% pulp exhibited longer fermentation times, the highest temperatures, and elevated production of organic acids such as acetic acid, a precursor of flavor. In addition, the turning applied every 24 h to the mass slightly favored the formation of flavor precursors. It seems that the abundance and composition of cupuassu pulp, rich in organic compounds, can influence the diversity of some populations of yeasts. Some of those compounds identified in previous studies are terpenes with antimicrobial activity. More studies will be necessary to confirm if the presence of terpenes compounds in the cupuassu pulp exert some inhibitory action on microorganism diversity.

Antioxidant Properties of Amazonian Fruits: A Mini Review of In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana share an area of 7,295,710 km² of the Amazon region. It is estimated that the Amazonian forest offers the greatest flora and fauna biodiversity on the planet and on its surface could cohabit 50% of the total existing living species; according to some botanists, it would contain about 16-20% of the species that exist today. This region has native fruit trees in which functional properties are reported as antioxidant and antiproliferative characteristics. Amazon plants offer a great therapeutic potential attributed to the content of bioactive phytochemicals. The aim of this mini review is to examine the state of the art of the main bioactive components of the most studied Amazonian plants. Among the main functional compounds reported were phenolic compounds, unsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, phytosterols, and tocopherols, with flavonoids and carotenoids being the groups of greatest interest. The main beneficial effect reported has been the antioxidant effect, evaluated in most of the fruits investigated; other reported functional properties were antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antigenotoxic, analgesic, immunomodulatory, anticancer, bronchodilator, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory, including hypercholesterolemic effects, leishmanicidal activity, induction of apoptosis, protective action against diabetes, gastroprotective activity, and antidepressant effects.