Metabolomics and sensorial analysis: strategic to selecte new yeast to improve coffee quality

Abstract

Monitoring coffee production processes from cultivation to roasting guarantees an improvement in the final quality of the beverage. Anaerobic fermentation induced by microbial metabolism (SIAF), with or without the addition of starter cultures, helps in the production of specialty coffees. The starter cultures depend on the altitude and region of production, the coffee variety, as well as the processing method. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fermentation performance of potential starter cultures in the natural and pulped processes of the Acaiá cultivar using metabolomic and sensory methodologies. The whole, peeled fruit was sanitized with peracetic acid (520 ppm). Fermentations were carried out by inoculating the yeasts Meyerozyma caribbica (CCMA 1993, CCMA 1950, CCMA1992, CCMA 1617, CCMA1635), Hanseniaspora uvarum (CCMA 1944), Pichia kluyveri (CCMA1658), Meyerozyma guillermondii (CCMA1737), Cystofilobasidium ferigula (CCMA1647) and control in bioreactors (5L) in duplicate. Fermentation was carried out for 168 hours for the natural process and 144 hours for the pulped process. In the controls for each process, yeast isolations were carried out on YEPG agar at pH 3.2. The isolates were identified using MALDI-TOF. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detected citric, tartaric, succinic, lactic and acetic acids, as well as ethanol, in both processes. The volatile compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), where 97 compounds were detected in the pulped coffee and 118 in the natural coffee, highlighting the production of alcohols, esters, pyrazines and furans. The pulped process has notes of orange, tropical fruit and woodiness, while the natural process has chocolatey notes. In this research, strains such as Hanseniaspora uvarum (CCMA 1944), Pichia kluyveri (CCMA1658), Meyerozyma guillermondii (CCMA1737) and Meyerozyma caribbica (CCMA1735) can be indicated as suitable for fermentation in the natural process, while Hanseniaspora uvarum (CCMA 1944) and Meyerozyma caribbica (CCMA1735) are suitable for fermentation in the pulped process.