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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Food Science Technology
Volume 11 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1467282
Cocoa bean metabolomics reveals polyphenols as potential markers relating to fine dark chocolate color shades
Provisionally accepted- 1 INRAE Occitanie Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- 2 SPO, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- 3 INRAE, PROBE Research Infrastructure, PFP Polyphenol analysis facility, Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- 4 Valrhona, Tain-l'Hermitage, France
This study aimed to evaluate the color and the discriminating compounds for two types of cocoa beans (black and brown beans) related to 70% dark chocolates of black and brown colors from a previous work of our group. Color analysis and untargeted high-resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis were performed on 8 beans of each type. Mass spectral data processing, univariate and multivariate statistical methods were conducted for classification of beans and selection of discriminant features. The results showed that the color difference already observed for black and brown chocolates preexists in the beans. Black and brown beans had 45 and 50 discriminant features, respectively, of which 16 and 41 were phenolic compounds. Most of them were also previously identified as discriminating compounds for black and brown chocolates. Black beans predominantly contained glycosylated flavanols, ranging from monomers to trimers, with dimers and trimers being A-type procyanidins, along with a phenolic acid (protocatechuic acid), and an O-glycosylated flavonol (quercetin-3-O-glucoside). In contrast, brown beans mostly contained non-glycosylated B-type procyanidins ranging from dimers to decamers, but also dimers and trimers of A-type procyanidins, and a glycosylated and sulfated flavanol ((epi)catechin hexoside-sulfate). These markers may be useful for quality control purposes and may contribute to the selection of beans that yield black or brown dark chocolates.
Keywords: theobroma cacao, Cocoa beans, chocolate, Metabolomics, Polyphenols, Flavanols, Procyanidins, discriminating compounds
Received: 19 Jul 2024; Accepted: 09 Sep 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 De Sousa Dias, Meudec, Verbaere, Lair, Boulet and Sommerer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Aécio Luis De Sousa Dias, INRAE Occitanie Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Arnaud Verbaere, SPO, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Sophie Lair, Valrhona, Tain-l'Hermitage, France
Jean-Claude Boulet, SPO, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Nicolas Sommerer, SPO, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
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