18C-22 |
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G. M. ROJAS, Program Graduate Food Science and Technology, Graduate Student - Univ. of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez campus, Mayagüez, PR 00681-5038, M. De Jesús, Chemistry Dept., Univ. of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR 00681-9019, M. Monroig, Horticulture-Service of Agricultural Extension, Puerto Rico Univ. Mayagüez, P.R. 00681-9031, Mayagüez, PR 00682, E. Negron, Food Science and Tecnology, and M. Rodríguez Flores, Chemistry, PR 00681-9019, Mayagüez, PR 00682. Coffee is the crop of major social, economic and ecological importance in the mountain zone in Puerto Rico. Acidity, aroma, body and flavor are characteristic attributes that are employed to evaluate the quality of coffee. The main objective of this research consisted of identifying the volatile compounds that are associate with the aroma of different altitudes. Two species were subjected to analysis: Coffea arabica (Borbón, Caturra and Limaní varieties) and Coffea canephora (Robusta variety). Solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were utilized in the analyses. The results obtained for C. arabica indicate that there is not a marked difference among the analyzed varieties; however, there is a difference in the abundance of corresponding compounds found in each variety from samples grown at different altitudes. The more prominent compounds found responsible for the aroma of coffee can be classified as aldehydes, ketones, furans, alcohols, pyrazines, thiophenes and pyrroles. The most abundant compound found in the aroma of all three varieties of C. arabica at all altitudes was 2-furancarboxaldehyde. In the Borbón variety, a larger number of volatile compounds was found in samples grown at an altitude of 2500 feet vs those grown at 1500 feet. At 1500 feet the Limaní variety contained the largest number and concentration of corresponding volatile compounds. The species C. canephora (Robusta variety) is still under study and the partial results are not included.
Session 18C, Food Chemistry: Food composition, analysis and volatiles
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |