Exploring volatile compounds and microbial dynamics: Kluyveromyces marxianus and Hanseniaspora opuntiae reduce Forastero cocoa fermentation time

• Published in: Food research international 2024-10, Vol.193, p.114821, Article 114821
• Main Authors: Coria-Hinojosa, Lizbeth M., Velásquez-Reyes, Dulce, Alcázar-Valle, Montserrat, Kirchmayr, Manuel R., Calva-Estrada, Sergio, Gschaedler, Anne, Mojica, Luis, Lugo, Eugenia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic Acid - metabolism; Cacao - chemistry; Cacao - metabolism; Cacao - microbiology; Cocoa bean fermentation; Fermentation; Food Microbiology; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hanseniaspora - metabolism; Kluyveromyces - metabolism; Metagenomics; Non-Saccharomyces yeasts; Time Factors; Volatile compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Volatile Organic Compounds - metabolism
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114821

[Display omitted] •Cocoa fermentation time was reduced by 20% using starter culture.•Kluyveromyces marxianus from mezcal fermentation prevailed during cocoa fermentation.•Starter culture reduced acetic acid and increased 2-Phenylethyl acetate in cocoa fermented.•Starter cultures lead to the formation of aromatic esters that produce floral notes. Traditional cocoa bean fermentation is a spontaneous process and can result in heterogeneous sensory quality. For this reason, yeast-integrated starter cultures may be an option for creating consistent organoleptic profiles. This study proposes the mixture of Hanseniaspora opuntiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus (from non-cocoa fermentation) as starter culture candidates. The microorganisms and volatile compounds were analyzed during the cocoa fermentation process, and the most abundant were correlated with predominant microorganisms. Results showed that Kluyveromyces marxianus, isolated from mezcal fermentation, was identified as the dominant yeast by high-throughput DNA sequencing. A total of 63 volatile compounds identified by HS-SPME-GC–MS were correlated with the more abundant bacteria and yeast using Principal Component Analysis and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering. This study demonstrates that yeasts from other fermentative processes can be used as starter cultures in cocoa fermentation and lead to the formation of more aromatic esters, decrease the acetic acid content.